New Beginings
by TheDarkestShinobi
Summary: Chapter twelve up: RyuxKasumi: The myth of Ryubi the Water Bender, Nura the Invincible, Samson the Great and countless others were not myths at all, but history. History that Kasumi would now become a part of, she would stand with them, and years from now someone will hear of the Kunoichi of Destiny and know it was Kasumi and he will have done his part to get her there.
1. Kasumi

**TheDarkestShinobi**: Well…. I normally do Naruto fics but I've decided to expand my horizons, This is a Kasumi/Ryu (also known as Hayabusa) fic so they will end up together… I think…. Anyway on with the story. The first two chapters are too short, I apologize for that.

I'm going to say in these few lines

That none of this stuff is mine

So owner please don't sue

I have no money to give to you!

**Story start**

_**A ninja is someone who breaks the law**_

A light blue blur passed by the surrounding trees without making a sound, she was followed by three others, one green, one black and one dark blue.

_**The laws of physics, of mankind**_

Kasumi jumped into the air and flew over the trees backwards landing behind the tree chasing her, not wanting to fight she ran the other way, backtracking, hoping they would lose her trail and forget about her, no such luck.

_**They are stronger, faster, swifter, smarter, and just better than normal people.**_

The three stopped and one motioned to the other two, they all turned swiftly and ran towards the runaway.

_**They are in tribes, both loyalty and honor is key to the lives of such powerful creatures**_

Kasumi stopped as they surrounded her, turning quickly she vanished leaving only flower petals behind. The three ninja entered the clearing and then sprinted off to the left.

_**When one abandons their village, their tribe for any reason, they become a nukenin**_

Kasumi looked over her shoulder to see them chasing her and gaining on her, she was hungry, and tired, they caught up to her while she was trying to sleep.

_**A shinobi**_

She jumped into a tree and calmed her breathing down, she panted before someone jumped into the tree slicing where she was before she jumped back. The other two cornered her.

_**A shinobi is hunted by the village, by the best ninja and is killed for their treason**_

Kasumi lowered into her stance as the third one joined the first two, the bird next to her continued to sing, unaware, or just unaffected by the silent shinobi

_**There were no exceptions,**_

They moved closer and she drew her small katana, holding it out in front of her, waiting for the first attack.

_**A shinobi could run all they wanted, eventually they were killed.**_

The one in black leapt for her and she spun around him jumping up and disappearing once again in a swirl of petals.

_**That was the way of the shinobi**_

She sat on a tree branch panting and looked for the three chasing her; they had not found her, yet. She put her katana back in its pouch and drew a kunai, waiting. She would wait, because in this state she couldn't keep running, she had to fight.

_**And to kill them way the way of the ninja**_

The three chasing her started running back the way they came from, leading them was the man all in black.

_**And that was the way of the world**_

She kneeled holding the kunai as the three ninja approached the clearing where she was hiding, the bird next to her continued to sing, unaware, or just unaffected by the silent shinobi next to him.

_**But in the world, the only constant, is change…**_

_**--**_

She crouched down on the tree branch she was on, she was kneeling so that her right foot was by her left knee, her right hand on her right knee and her left hand on the branch, loosely but firmly griping the kunai she had in it. Her hair was hidden in a dark blue bandana that matched well with the blue dress type outfit she wore. Her sword was perched on her back where she could easily access it if she needed to.

She opened her doe colored eyes and stared at the ground below her, she could feel them coming, more ninja sent by her brother to kill her. She could smell them and could practically taste them in the air. She lowered her breathing to a nearly impossibly audible sound. She followed the sound of moving bushes and crouched lower as they ran into the clearing.

"I'm sure I sensed her here..." The first one said in a low voice. All three of them had a kunai out and a weapon strapped to their back.

The first was a man clad in black. He had a sword attached to his waist It was about three feet long and had a black hilt with a golden dragon on it. He had a black face mask that only revealed his brown eyes.

The second was a shorter man, clad in a very dark blue. He had a three sectional attached to his back and two smaller swords were on his waists. He was standing up and was the only one that let down his guard. He did not have a mask and revealed a very handsome man; the only fault was a scar that ran across his face narrowly missing his eyes.

The third was a girl judging by the smaller body physique that she had compared to her two teammates. She was in dark green gear that made her blend in very well and her weapon was unknown to Kasumi, she had a black case type cloth on her back that obviously held a weapon, but kept the type of weapon a secret. Her mask covered everything but her brownish hazel eyes, a rare color in Japan.

The shinobi jumped off her branch and landed right behind the man covered in dark blue. Her left hand almost touching his neck and the kunai in front of it, ready to cut and a seconds notice. Her right hand was hovering by her kunai pouch with her fingers relaxed but ready to move. She was looking at the two ninja who were facing the other way, in front of her with indifferent eyes.

"Leave, before I am forced to hurt you." She could have easily killed one or two of them before appearing in front of them but she didn't like killing, despite the fact that she was a ninja and had the ability to kill in many different ways and styles.

"Ieto Kasumi" The woman said spinning to face her,  
"Hayate sama sent us with orders to kill you, why would we simply leave?" Kasumi knew what she was doing, stating the obvious to buy them time, it was useless, she wasn't a high caliber Kunochi for nothing. She knew all the tricks. She brought the kunai closer to his throat and watched him simply blink. He smirked a bit, did she really think they'd back down? Do or die. There was no surrender for ninjas, especially when it came to a nukenin, a shinobi, a traitor.

No fear, these were very seasoned shinobi, of course they were no match for her in skill, with her being the strongest Kunochi in the world, but this meant that she would actually have to kill them, something she really didn't like doing. She knew it was useless but she smirked to try to scare them away.

"Last chance"

They all shared a goodbye. It was simply and the way there looked at each other, or the way their finger moved. No words need be spoken. Words were useless for a team; everything that needed to be expressed could be expressed in subtle movements.

_Gomen nasaii_

She said it to herself as she blinked, for the man that would never hear another word. For the man who could never know she said it, and would never know she was sorry. She said it every time she killed. She was truly sorry and if she had any other choice she would take it. But she didn't, not in a world like this.

They all looked to her and knew they faced their death by her hands. However that doesn't mean they were deterred in the slightest. The man pocketed the kunai and drew his sword as the woman drew two more kunai; the second man threw himself back onto Kasumi.

Kasumi's eyes widened slightly as the man threw himself back on her, she leaned back awkwardly to avoid the hit and quickly sliced his throat. Blood squirted out and she spun to move out of the falling body's way. It fell with a thud and she looked towards the two left with cold calculating eyes.

They were already dead.

She had a trail of blood on her from the first man and wiped the drop that was on her cheek off her face. She leaned back as the first man swiped at her, she then sidestepped to avoid the kunai the girl threw. She lifted her hand and caught the second, then she threw it back to hit the third and they both fell to the floor. She crouched to avoid to man's next swipe and jumped up, grabbing the dead man's small swords.

She flipped and landed on a tree branch. She tossed the sword up a foot and caught it by the side without the hilt. She grabbed it tight enough so that it wouldn't fall, but loose enough that it wouldn't cut her. She jumped off the tree and disappeared into rose petals. She appeared next to the girl with the sword extended, the other still in her hand like it was before.

The girl spun quickly to hit Kasumi in the back when she fell to her knees, blood coming out of the wound across her chest.

"You will die Kasumi" Kasumi said nothing as she stepped back. The woman got back up, blood dripping steadily. She reached into her pouch and Kasumi eyed the other man who was watching.

The girl yanked out two tonfas and the man lunged for her. She leaned back so that they both missed. She tossed the first sword up high and used the second to block his sword, her hand catching the tonfa of the girl. She jumped up, kicking them both in the chest and flying up in the air.

She grabbed the first sword and caught the second by the hilt. She threw them both and the two ninja split up. She landed on the man, like she was sitting on his shoulders backwards. She then thrusted her hips and curled her body so that he flew up in the air and slammed into the floor, his sword landing a couple of feet away. He groaned and she rolled away from the woman who was about to punch her. He rolled to his sword and picked it up looking at the two women.

Kasumi climbed up the woman and stomped on her until she was level with the ground. Kasumi then turned around stepping off her and brought out her sword blocking the man's strike. She then put her sword back in its pouch. She then stabbed him with her fingers in his stomach; she quickly stepped forward and struck him again, and again. She then hit him once more and he collided with the tree behind him. She then kicked the girl behind her in the shoulder with her right leg, then the other shoulder with her left and then with her right leg kicked straight up, catching the girls chin and knocking her up into the air and backwards.

The ninja flipped and landed on her feet. She had her tonfas and whipped them out to strike Kasumi's shoulders; Kasumi ducked down and kicked out her legs beneath her. The girl fell and coughed up a lot of blood, her injuries finally wearing her down. Her tonfas lay on the floor a few feet away from her. The red portion of her chest was dripping blood that was all over the battlefield. She lost too much of it. But she was not going down like this; she would fight until her last breath.

Kasumi drew her sword once more and parried with the man. She sliced him on his left arm and then went to stab him in the chest, the man disappeared and Kasumi stepped back to avoid the woman's attack.

_Gomen nasaii _

Kasumi brought her sword down quickly and sliced off her head. She heard the dripping of the blood on her sword and turned to the man who was in a tree. He was crouched on the branch. She ran toward another tree as her threw three shurikin at her, she ran up the tree and two of them landed where her feet were seconds before. She jumped off the tree and tilted her head so the third went sailing past her.

The man jumped back as Kasumi sliced the branch off the tree, but she didn't stop there, she sliced once more and the two swords met, she pushed hard on his sword then pulled hers back quickly and stabbed him in the heart.

_Gomen nasaii _

Kasumi watched him fall and then turned away, her brown eyes filling with sadness, she hated killing, but in this world it was kill or be killed. She wiped the sword on the first man's clothes.

"I'm almost home" She whispered as she took off into the forest of her home village.

_Soon... _

_Very soon..._

**Chapter End**

Triple R; **R**eview, **R**evise, and **R**equest

Ja Ne!


	2. Ryu

**TheDarkestShinobi: **I uploaded the first two together, lucky you, I need to know if this is the good the bad or the ugly (line not mine don't sue!!)

I going to say in this few lines

That none of this stuff is mine,

So please owner don't sue

Cause I have no money to give to you!!

**Chapter start**

Hayabusa Ryu looked in the mirror in front of him with his jade eyes. He closed them and took a deep breath, his chest moving up and down slowly and controlled. His hard training and work gave him the muscles that showed under his tights flexible clothes. His sword was on the mat next to him at an arm's distance with his mask there too.

He opened his eyes and looked into the mirror again. These eyes belonged to Hayabusa, the human rendition of the Black Death itself. These eyes were cold and calculating and showed no mercy towards any enemy, man, woman, or child. These were that jade eyes feared by all that had heard of them.

The children in the dojo stared at him in awe, hoping one day to have his title, to be the 'Super ninja' to be the strongest man in the world. Adults admired him for his strength and courage, others were jealous, and some felt only lust when it came to this ninja. Hayabusa Ryu, he wasn't a ninja of the village, he was the only survivor of a massacred village, but he held a strong alliance here because of Hayate, the 'ninja of the wind' and Ayane, 'the female Tengu'.

People had no shame; they would point to him while he was there and talk about him, or just blatantly stare at him, gasping for words or trying to continue with what they were doing. Otherwise respectable women would throw themselves at his feet and otherwise respectable men would show jealous streaks when they seen him. He did not care, he was taught to be above that, it was something he did very well. He was above the feeling of lust and the need to touch, he was super human, a super ninja.

He was sitting in the standard ninja meditation pose. He was sitting on his feet his knees on the floor with his hands on his thighs as he concentrated on his goal, peace and Zen. To be able to remember, to forget, and to be at peace again. He closed his eyes and placed his right hand on the mat in front of his right knee, his palm was down and his fingers were diagonal facing in front of him to the left. He then placed his left hand in the same fashion in front of him and bowed his head until his forehead barely touched the mat.

He pulled his head up and pulled his right hand back first before pulling his left back. He stood and grabbed his sword and mask. He then walked to the edge of the mats his bare feet making no sound as he walked. He turned at the very edge of the mat to the sign of the dojo on the main wall and bowed to it. His arms straight and firmly placed at his sides and legs completely straight.

"Usso"

He stepped off of the mat and walked to the entrance of the dojo. He put his sword on his back and mask on his face and stepped into his footwear. He turned and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Hayabusa appeared on the roof of the highest point in the village. He crossed his arms in front of him and they wind picked up behind him.

It happened today, it was years ago and he should've forgotten, it shouldn't bother him. Not anymore.

--  
**Flashback**

**(Ryu = 13-14 years old) **

_Ryu looked up at his sensei/mentor. His jade eyes filled with tears. _

_"Ryu..." His sensei said in a harsh whisper as his mouth filled with blood. _

_"Hai sensei...." Ryu knelt besides his teacher and tried frantically to help. _

_"Stop, Ryu, it is no use, I am dead" The tears were ready to fall now, Ryu gulped and began to protest. _

_"But sen-" _

_"Enough, Ryu, this village, the whole Hayabusa clan is done for, we have been eliminated. Do not cry, ever, it is a sign of weakness, never cry, never let people see your weaknesses." Ryu's sensei spit out more blood and stood up. _

_"You must leave and" His sensei coughed up some more blood, "survive, You are now Hayabusa, the only Hayabusa" His sensei knew his time was coming but he needed to finish. He was choking, downing in his own blood. _

_"There is no shame in this departure, live and carry on our name... our gl..." His sensei then limply fell forwards into Ryu's arms. Ryu set him down and closed his eyes. _

_"I can't do that sensei" Ryu said looking down at the body of his former sensei. _

_Ever since Ryu parents were killed when he was five, his sensei took him in and acted as his father while teaching him the art of being a ninja. Sensei had, for nine years, tried to teach him to be flawless and put aside emotions for missions. _

_To be a cold blooded killer. _

_It wasn't the training, not the blood, not the sweat, nor the unshed tears. _

_No, all it took was for his sensei to die. _

_Ryu, no, Hayabusa, he was no longer an individual with his strengths and weaknesses but the entire Hayabusa clan with all of their strengths. He was all that was left of the village now, and he would avenge it, those ninja that were leaving now, would never get home. _

_Hayabusa unsheathed his sword, it hungered for blood, and Hayabusa could only say that he did too. _

--

**End Flashback**

At the age of 14 he became the monster they wanted. Hayabusa had killed his first that day, and he had killed over 100 people, he killed them all and still wanted to kill more and more. They gave him rewards for that, things he did not want to accept at all, but did to be polite. He may need their help in the future after all. Truthfully, it made him feel like a monster.

He felt then that there was no reason in life, but the Mugen Tenshin clan took him in and he met Ieto Hayate and Ieto Kasumi.

**Flashback **

**(Ryu = 15 years old)  
(Hayate = 14 years old)  
(Kasumi = 12 years old) **

_**(A/N I don't know the actual age difference so I'll just put down what's in my head.) **_

_Hayabusa looked up from the ground that was now covered with the splinters of the tree he had just destroyed. _

_"Harsh, what did it ever do to you?" _

_He said nothing and just sent Hayate a glare. _

_"Ieto san" Hayate scratched his head. _

_"Hayabusa right?" _

_"Hai" _

_"um, want to spar?" _

_They spared and Hayate faced his first defeat to Hayabusa and when news spread it made Hayabusa more renown and widely feared. _

**Change scene**

_Hayabusa looked up from his spot on the wooden post and out to the sea and seen birds flying by. He turned to the forest and jumped down. _

_Hayabusa took his mask off letting his hair fall over his shoulders and looked to the spot he knew Hayate was in. He walked out with his hands up, _

_"Alright you caught me."  
"hn"  
"Hey, you have weird eyes" Hayate said walking closer and taking a better look at them. Hayabusa jumped off of the stump and landed in front of Hayate.  
"And you're hair is abnormal" Hayate grinned and scratched the back of his head,  
"if you really think so you should meet Kasumi" Hayabusa simply looked away and Hayate grabbed his arm.  
"come on" _

**Change scene**

_"Hayate Oniisan Okaasan wants-uh hi..." Kasumi said walking out of the kitchen. She bowed slightly in apology to Hayabusa,  
"Gomen, I didn't know you were here." Hayate ruffled her hair and received a half hearted glare for it as Hayabusa just stood watching them.  
"This is her, the runt."  
"I'm Ieto Kasumi"  
"Hayabusa" she looked to him for his second name.  
"Just Hayabusa" he noticed Hayate was right about her hair, while Hayate's was a light brown; hers appeared to be orange. _

_Hayate left them to go to their mother and Kasumi turned to Hayabusa with a smile  
"so Hayabusa san, are you the one they were talking about?" She stepped closer to him and he didn't move. He nodded once, curtly, she was like the rest of them, she only liked him because he was a monster.  
"Is it true?"  
"Yes I killed all those people" she laughed,  
"No, not that, your eyes" Hayabusa was shocked, his eyes? She didn't care that he was a murderer of so many? _

_"We are all ninja Hayabusa san; we all have killed or will have to soon..." She stepped closer and Hayabusa didn't know what to do, she was too close to him. All he could think of now was to strike and back away, she was in his personal space. She was too close.  
"Can I?" Hayabusa just looked at her, can she what? He nodded slightly not knowing what to do. She stepped even closer so that they had an inch in between them and he could feel the warmth of her body against his._

_"I... just... want to..." She reached her hands up to the base of his neck and he found he couldn't move, why would someone touch another softly without intent to harm? Was she deceiving him like the women of his clan were taught how to do when they came of age? He found his throat to be dry and his palms started to sweat. He couldn't speak; she needed to stop touching him so softly!_

_"See..." she slowly pulled up the mask and Hayabusa had to force his breathing to stay normal.  
"Them" she held the mask in her hand as put her hand on his cheek making him look down at her, she looked into his eyes and saw the jade color that everyone spoke about. _

_"Wow, they are beautiful." Kasumi was too close now, there was no reason for her to touch him so softly, he grabbed the wrist of hers of the hand that was on his cheek with his hand and pulled it down slowly. _

_"Thank you..." What was her name again? This was not good, he was the best ninja in the village, how could a soft touch confuse him so much?  
"Princess" He knew she was one, this way he stayed respectful. She giggled as she turned and led him into the main room. _

_"Just Kasumi, Hayabusa san, and I want to know your second name" He opened his mouth to respond when she put a finger on his lips,  
"when you're ready to tell people, that is." _

**End Flashbacks**

Hayabusa smiled at that particular memory, Kasumi was 12 she really didn't know any of those techniques, and she truly had no intent to harm him, if anything she helped him the most. He couldn't help but think that she knew them now, and she might've had to lay with a man before to get information. Hayabusa found himself angry about that, it must've been because of the promise he made to Hayate. Or maybe the fact that he had grown fond of the two of them, despite the fact that he didn't spend too much time with her once she turned 14 and became of a legal age.

Now that he thought about it, it makes perfect sense, Kasumi was beautiful, most likely the most beautiful Kunochi in the clan, or the world, he had to admit he had never met anyone who looked like she did, so it makes sense for them to have wanted her to learn how to seduce a man and get close to them, for information. She didn't need to, she was strong enough to take her own. He paused as a bird flew by his head. Why did he care so much? She was a nuke nin now after all. It must have been that promise that he made to Hayate, must be.

Speaking of which, it's time he paid his friend a visit.

He looked out into the sky to see the sun rising overhead. He listened to the bird's song for a second before he jumped off and flew through the air next to and like the birds and disappeared before he hit the adjacent building.

**Chapter end**

**T.D.S.** first vote! Should Hayate still love Kasumi and feel pressured by the clan to kill her, or really want her dead himself, it changes the plot so let me know now, otherwise you might not like it so vote!

**Triple R** catch you later!


	3. Sereo

TheDarkestShinobi: I've got another chapter for you!!

Please be nice and give me a review or two!

I going to say in this few lines

That none of this stuff is mine,

So please owner don't sue

Cause I have no money to give to you!!

**Story start**

Kasumi jumped quickly and soundlessly from tree to tree. She was closer to the village; she recognized the trees from her days as a mere youth training in these same trees. Back when everything was how she wanted it to be, she had her brother, and a strained relationship with her half sister that was getting better. She remembered a time when she could come home on her brother's shoulders because she was tired to a warm meal made by her mother, her Okasan. She could almost smell her mother's fish in the air, no, that was real fish. Abruptly stopping she hid behind the tree trunk and looked to see a camp that was similar to the ones Ryu would make. She could feel another person nearby, the way they were breathing and walking

"I can sense you too; you may as well come out from your hiding spot"

Kasumi almost flinched, she wasn't expecting that person to find her before she left her hiding spot, it was something she was hoping for, so she would not have to fight him, fighting was one of the parts of being a shinobi she did not like.

"I did not expect you to find me,"

She stood on the tree branch for a second and he seemed to have recognized her because his eyes widened and his lips tilted upwards into a smile.

"Kasumi? I didn't think you'd come to me, must be my lucky day" Kasumi jumped down into the clearing he was in both of them knowing that the fight was inevitable and that one of them would die. She walked forward slowly and stopped with her hands on her hips. She didn't want to fight, neither did he, yet.

"Well... sit," The man said gesturing towards the long log on the other side of the fire. In the fire he was cooking fish and she cautiously walked closer. He was wearing a green muscle shirt and black pants; he had a sword strapped to his back and a shuriken pack tied to his leg. He looked around her age, 22, but acted so much older than she was, much like Ryu, he carried the grace of someone aged far more than he was. He had a firm build, for a ninja of the Hajimon, nothing seemed unusual about him. He stood at 5'9" with pale skin and short straight black hair; he had brown eyes and was in shape, but not above it.

She was a shinobi, a nukenin, someone that teams of ninja could not take down. She was stronger that Hayate and Ayane, two of the Mugen Tenshin's strongest. She was shapely and obviously well gifted in things other than the shinobi arts, and her outfit proved it. He knew the reason behind the outfit, a panty shot here, a glimpse of cleavage there and a weaker minded ninja would look and give her the opportunity to strike and take him out. Supposedly she was almost as strong as Hayabusa Ryu, the strongest man in the world. Aside from that she looked like a normal girl, about 5'2" and defined but not overly muscled. She did not look like she could be this 'Kunochi of Destiny' that everyone had claimed her to be, but he knew that looks could be deceiving.

"Relax, for now anyway, you've been running for awhile, and I bet you have eaten a bite for a few days, it's not poisoned or anything." She looked at him incredulously; did he think she was stupid? Trusting one's foe was an easy way to your downfall, honestly he was trying to be hospitable but he knew she wouldn't eat from his stock, even though he wasn't talented enough to poison it without causing a noticeable difference in its taste.

"I want to test myself, and you as well I guess" She started to feel the effects of not eating for so long and smelling the food now but held strong knowing she could go for a couple days more before she ate. Her stomach growled and her mouth started to salivate, but her feet stayed firmly on the floor as she stayed tense for an attack, it was the power of the mind over the body, her willpower overcoming her desire, even for food and Earthly need.

"If you don't eat, you won't be at your best, I know I will lose, but I want to face you at your best"

Kasumi cautiously stepped forward still expecting a trap. The man sighed albeit sadly, though he knew that living on the run made a person like this, his sister had been the same. He shook his head and pointed east,

"I understand your mistrust of me, there is a river a few hundred meters away, you can catch food there, unless you believed I've compromised the entire lake" Kasumi hesitantly backed off and then turned sprinting away, she couldn't believe she hadn't sensed the water nearby. Now it overpowered her, the feeling of freshness and scent of salt, the cooling of the temperature and the soft sounds of flowing waters.

--

Kasumi emerged from the water and put her clothes back on after an hour in the cold stream. After dressing, she tied her hair back in a high ponytail using her favorite yellow ribbon and turned to the water again. She quickly thrust her hand in and just as quickly pulled it out with a fish in it. She smiled and did it once more and, against her better judgment went back to the previous ninja's camp.

He felt the footsteps against the Earth and was able to feel her surprisingly calm presence moving towards him. It got stronger and he could tell that she was there at the base of his camp just looking at him, waiting for some kind of reaction. He looked up at her and smiled trying to be friendly. However, she stepped back slightly and uneasily, undeterred but calmer he got up and dusted himself off.

"You can use the fire, just put it out before you go to sleep, it'd be foolish to leave without using it."

She watched him enter the tent and frowned in thought. Why would he trust her so easily? Why was she trusting him so easily, and why did it feel like she knew him, or at least what was on the inside, the soul as people liked to call it? She seen the recognition in his eyes too when she first stepped out from behind the tree. She sat on the log stump by the fire and felt the warmness envelop her as she started to dry. She decided that there was no point in running away, at least not before using the fire, for drying and cooking.

After she had eaten she put out the fire and turned to leave when curiosity stopped her, this man, must have an ulterior motive to this, did he really just want to meet his end to her, she knew that many shinobi believe in an honorable death and he might want to bring his family honor, maybe he couldn't do that in his home village. But he recognized her in a scene and she did the same for him. She did not know him, she was never one to forget a face, making friends or, unfortunately, enemies with whomever she met, yet she felt like she did know him, better than she knew some of her old friends.

She watched as the last of the smoke cleared in the sky and felt for her small katana, it was always on her, she never went anywhere without it. It was a gift from her father before he went to go meet the Shogun for a special meeting in which he met his untimely end. She never got to meet him and grew up without a father, but with a legacy to fulfill. She frowned; she really didn't want to fight this man. She sat and leaned her head on the tree and dozed into a half sleep that only shinobi seemed capable of. She was used to being hunted and found at night, when a fraction of a second or a fraction of an inch can mean the difference between life and death, so she was used to this sort of meditative state, it was not the most rejuvenating, but it was what she had to settle for, especially being this close to the village.

--

Kasumi felt something moving over her and opened her eyelids slowly to see a blanket over her body, she snuggled into it before opening her eyes widely jumping into the air and drawing a kunai holding it to the man's neck, but he was holding his own kunai against it with a smile on his face.

He looked amused.

"heh, I didn't know you hated blankets that much." Kasumi smiled apologetically and brought her kunai back and put it in her pouch.

"Sorry" she had almost killed this man because he offered her warmth. Kasumi looked at the fire and seen four fish cooking,

"the stream's still over there since you don't trust me"  
"Hai" she said thankfully and sprinted off, she still wondered why he was so nice to her, but there was that spark of recognition again, it intrigued her more than it should, she should keep running, she shouldn't stop at the stream and she shouldn't turn and go back, she shouldn't see him again. She knew she would.

--

Ryu landed kneeled and the entrance of the Hajimon main house.

"I am here to see Hayate" The ninja at the front stepped aside knowing Ryu well, they, Ryu and Hayate, had been close friends for the better part of eleven years, since Ryu was fourteen, he was turning 25.

"Hayate"  
"Ryu! Long time no see" Hayate walked out of his room and they bowed slightly to each other in greeting a smile on both of their faces, though Ryu's was a lot less noticeable. His mask was off and his hair was tied back into a ponytail, Hayate was in his normal attire, the white outfit with blue edges.

"How is the Mugen Tenshin doing?"  
"We just lost another team" Ryu nodded and felt a snake of emotion crawling up his spine. He was always one to follow his instinct, and that instinct told him to watch for the snake in the grass, and that the snake was Hayate.  
"How?" Hayabusa crossed his arms having a feeling he knew what it was, he never had siblings but the bond between them was supposed to be unbreakable, he had a bond with Ayane and Kasumi, and he knew all the details as to why Kasumi left because she told him, and if Ayane left he would get all the details before severing that bond and calling her an enemy, and he wasn't their brother.

"Yes, Kasumi, she took down another team of my best."

"She is too strong for you to kill off like any other rouge nin"

"But she needs to be taken down!"

"Hayate, this is your sister!"  
"She betrayed the clan; that is all I need to know."  
"You don't remember the whole thing she-"  
"Ryu! Enough! Kasumi is a shinobi, she knows this, she knows that if she comes here, chances are, she won't leave alive, and I'll make sure of it."

Ryu had watched his best friend change since he got his memory back, he had been cold and distant before he took up the mantle as the village leader, Ryu knew that his best friend was no longer the man he once was and it disappointed him how even a man as strong as Hayate, could fall to the darkness.

"Hayate, you disappoint me" Hayabusa said and turned away, only he disappeared as he did so. Hayate looked down thinking o all the times that Ryu saved Kasumi, all the times he tried to get Hayate to calm down when it came to sending teams after her, how the 'Super Ninja' had grown soft hearted.

"Ryu, you disappoint me as well."

--

Kasumi had just returned to camp when she seen her companion walking around carrying wood. His muscles bulged with the effort of carrying those large logs and he was shirtless, Kasumi felt herself flush and cleared her throat.

"Oh! Kasumi I..." He dropped a long in surprise and it went down and ripped straight down his black pants giving himself a long ragged cut down his right leg. A ninja is taught how to withstand pain, and that was the only reason Sereo could hold the logs up until Kasumi took enough for him to toss the rest into the pile and sit back as the blood ran down his leg and the sweat ran into the wound.

"Shimatta!" Kasumi laughed and walked up to him, leaving the wood as it fell from the toss.  
"You were carrying too much, be more careful will you?" She frowned seeing all the blood and grabbing his pant leg.

"That's deep" He sheepishly rubbed his head,  
"I've had worse, I'll be fine," She shook her head,  
"Allow me to bandage you up please." He nodded and they walked over, painfully slow for those used to running, to the stream before she set him down by a tree stump by the stream. She ripped his pants up to mid thigh, she needed the wound to breathe, the cut started just below the knee and ran until and inch above his ankle.

"Kasumi," She turned to the water and dipped the cloth in soaking it, looking over her shoulders she responded with a simple 'Hai'  
"how long has it been" She walked back and knelt in front of him.  
"Since we met?"  
"Yeah"  
"About two weeks why"  
"I'm due back in the village in one more week then" She nodded as she cleaned the wound and ever once in a while he would twitch.  
"You know, it's been two weeks, and I don't know your name"  
"Well I'm Tademo Sereo" He turned his clean leg to take a good look at the bruise

"It's worse than I thought, but it'll be better in a few days, I heal abnormally fast."  
"well, Sereo san it's nice to make your acquaintance."  
"heh" Kasumi's hands traveled up his leg slowly searching for any other injury caused by the wood and she felt him tense.  
"Relax" She soothed not realizing the real problem. He rolled his eyes

--

"Kasumi has evaded us for far too long" Hayate said to the council, which was a group of powerful family figures, the only one refusing a seat being Hayabusa. Nobody was against that, he was invaluable in the field. Ryu said he was never a real part of the village and could not accept a seat, but they believed what they wanted to.  
"I am sending Yuka Hitori and Megi Haru on a mission to eliminate her, they are two of our best, and they will not fail."  
"We will also send Hayabusa Ryu"

"And what of Tademo Sereo"  
"we have not heard from him as of yet."  
"We will meet tomorrow to finalize this mission"

Hayate bowed and left. The council was easy to deal with when he brought up Kasumi, she dishonored the clan, and as long as she was out there it made them look weak. He would fix that, the Hajimon was not weak, he would show them, he would show them all that he was not weak.

--

Kasumi woke up and stretched, she had gotten real sleep last night, she slept blissfully unaware of the world around her, it had been too long since she had done that. She got up and picked up the blanket and pillow Sereo gave her and put it in a neat pile; she had never felt so alive.

She had slept so well yesterday and felt so energetic today. She stretched again and let out a small yawn while pulling her hair back into her favorite yellow ribbon, the one she wore everyday if she could. She walked out and seen four fish by the fire, she had trusted him and eaten the same fish he did and so he had started cooking four, two for each. She sat down and he looked up to her, his eyes were different, they were colder, more like a ninja than a friend. His eyes had always been so warm to her, now they looked at her coldly.

"Today we fight" She opened her eyes wide and looked at him shocked. His tone matched his eyes, how could he act so coldly to her now when he was so warm before.  
"Nani? ano Sareo san we, I..." She got up and backed away slowly, she couldn't believe this, she wouldn't believe this. She should turn and run, and she started to  
"Kasumi" She stopped, she couldn't bring herself to run away, she should, his leg was, or should still be hurt, and she was fast, he wouldn't be able to catch her.  
"We must fight, running away will not stop it, I am ordered to hunt and kill you" Kasumi lowered her gaze while facing away from him. Why must she always fight?  
"You're right, I was a fool to trust you and believe you actually cared about me and would actually offer me a temporary home." It might've sounded as cold as his remark if her voice did not crack as she said it.  
"Eat" She turned and looked up at him with a hardened stare, she had to pretend she didn't know him, how could he expect her to kill her friend? Was that the reason why he befriended her, and what of the spark of recognition between them?  
"Food, eat it." Kasumi sat down and took a fish hesitantly, what's going on?

--

"Ryu has left the village" Hayate said to his half sister as she sharpened her sword.  
"He will be back" Ayane said as she stood and put her sword in its sheath, she didn't even look at him.  
"He is probably training, don't pay it any mind, you have a clan to lead, put your friendship and petty concern behind you" She said scolding as she turned to him, Hayate turned away, vanishing in a cloud of smoke.  
"He'd better be back" Ayane said softly and turned away after her older brother left. She sighed and hoped he would be back; Hayate was tearing the three of them apart, Ryu and Ayane couldn't even be in the same room with him sometimes because it reminded them so much of the Hayate they used to have.

"Oh Hayate, if Kasumi could see you now…"

--

Kasumi turned to run away once again and avoid the fight but he appeared in front of her,  
"We have to fight" There was that cold tone again. She turned away with her hand by her heart, her tears were on the verge but pure willpower held them back, if she were to fight tears would hinder her vision.  
"Why, why is everything always fighting? Why can't we be in peace?" Sereo laughed  
"Kasumi, we are ninja, if you take the fight from us then there is nothing left. Fighting is what we were born and raised to do, that is fate"  
"but..." he shook his head slowly and then looked at her harshly  
"You tried to escape it and only brought more violence to your life, do you see the futility. Now, come at me!"  
Kasumi stepped back.  
"Onegai!" (stop)  
"Hajime!" (Begin/come at me)

Kasumi closed her eyes and brought her hands up to block his first two strikes,  
"Please"  
Then she back flipped onto a tree branch as he tried to kick her. The simple act reminded her of the times she had faced Ryu and he had told her to run away, to live and fight another day, and how she had never listened.  
"I do not wish to fight!"  
"That is not possible!" He jumped into the tree and before she could move pinned her to it. She struggled against him but he was too strong, she would have to hurt him to get out. He put his head by hers and whispered in her ear.  
"You are a shinobi, the fight is inevitable, as of now, we are no longer friends, you owe me nothing, you are nothing to me, I am nothing to you. Seal away your emotions, your feelings, or this life will drive you mad." Kasumi turned swiftly so she faced the trunk; she then grabbed her katana and swung at him. He stepped back and vanished, leaving leaves behind. He appeared in the clearing below the tree and she clenched her fist stepped forward on the branch.

"Now! Hajime!" Kasumi narrowed her eyes as she unclenched her fist but made one, she had to pretend that she didn't know this person, that he didn't offer her hospitality,

That he wasn't her friend.

Kasumi crouched on the tree branch, now they were not friends, they were enemies out to kill each other, all because of her brother, was this really the life she had lived before, friends one moment, enemies the next, fighting for no reason other than the fact that someone else wanted you to, being the puppets for a mastermind or an idiot? They were throwing their lives away on a whim, being jus a weapon to be used or discarded at will. She had to stop it; she had to make her brother stop this.

She had to go to her brother and stop this, she was only a day away from the village, couldn't he see that she really didn't want to fight with him, that all she wanted to do was talk to her brother peacefully and make amends, she wanted to do the same with her half sister Ayane and she had longed for her mothers embrace for the longest time.

Sereo lowered his stance and Kasumi jumped down into the clearing drawing a simple kunai. Kasumi looked at him and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She knew it would be alright someday, it had to be, she couldn't live a life where there was someone who wanted you dead everywhere you turned. She would change that, she would go to Hayate and change that.

Sereo pulled out a kunai and spun it on his middle finger before catching it in his hand holding it by his side.

--

Ryu was sitting on a tree in the forest trying to relax when he heard kunai clashing from a fight in the distance. He held his mask in his hands as he looked over the village he had hoped to one day feel apart of, but he couldn't, to this day he felt like an outsider. He was always pointed at admired, and no one cared about who he was. As a ninja, that was how you wanted people to look at you, but after feeling like a part of a family, with Kasumi Ayane and Hayate he missed the simple hi. Kasumi, Hayate was still trying to kill her, know it was different, before he felt pressured by the clan heads to kill her, he had known there was something his sister didn't tell him, but now, he wanted her dead, and he wanted to kill her himself if he could. He traced the silver part of his mask wondering when he cared more for Kasumi than Hayate did.

**Flashback**

_"Ryu"  
"Hayate"  
"One day she will come here, drive her away, please, for her own safety"  
"So you still love her"  
There was no response, it was not needed._

**End flashback  
**  
At that time he was sure that they both wanted her safe and sound and carried an older brother's sense of affection for her.

But now, he wanted her dead like the rest of the village, and Ryu was left alone in his affection, even Ayane wanted her dead, though Ayane and Kasumi's relationship turned sour as soon as Ayane found out they were sisters. He found himself asking himself, a lot if he should he hate her too? His old and only sensei would say that he should go out there and kill her now, to end the confusion and mixed feelings.

He was the only one she confessed to and he was still the only one who knew the whole story. And he swore to secrecy. He swore to her to keep the secret to the grave and it was a promise he planned on keeping. He remembered that day, the leaves were turning and it was colder than normal, she had confessed to him her fears and her plan, he tried to convince her to stay, then to let him come with her, in the end she refused both requests and he watched her leave.

Of everyone, he harbored the most affection for her, weakness or not it was true.

He couldn't hate her like they did.

--

Kasumi kicked at Sereo's head and he leaned back and grabbed her foot sweeping her. She twirled and instead of falling put her weight on his arm and swirled around to kick him in the face. He released her and stepped back. They drew a kunai at the same time, twirled it in their fingers and grasped it at all in perfect unison, using the same Hajimon technique. They charged passed each other and their kunais sparked.

--

Ryu stood on the tree branch and slid his mask into place, he was going to find her and end all this nonsense. He was feeling too much and thinking about this too much. He ran and jumped off the tree towards the village.

--

Ayane jumped out of the village's watchtower on the main gates and landed in front of a man walking in. The man jumped back but did not say anything.  
"This is the Mugen Tenshin, do not lie to the Hajimon, state your purpose." The man looked to her and pulled out a scroll.  
"Deliver this to Ieto Hayate, or whomever your village currently follows"  
"From?"  
"The Shogun"

--

You the reader will click the review button on the bottom of this page.

I hope...

Nobody voted on Hayate so he wants her dead, my pick,

now for waaay in the future,

Anybody want a Ryu/Kasumi Lemon?

**TDS =)**


	4. Dying

**TheDarkestShinobi:** Chapter four up,

I'm going to have a quote from the chapter at the start to leave you excited to read

(("You got your wish, Hayate _Sama_, your sister is dead."))  
-Hayabusa

**Chapter start**

"The shogun" Ayane's eyes widened as she got on one knee bowing her head, She was on her left knee as her right fist was firmly planted on the ground, her left hand was on her right knee. Her gaze was straight down to the ground and her lips moved with authority over the village, but submission to the shogun.  
"Gomen Nasaii messenger, the shogun wishes me to deliver a letter" The messenger nodded and threw back his cloak and let his long hair escape. His brown hair reached his hips and was in a braid.

"To Hayate san or whoever may lead your village now"  
"Hayate sama is out of the village but I will give this to him as soon as he returns"  
"When is he due back"  
"Tomorrow"  
"Very well, this is for his eyes and his eyes only"  
"Hai"  
"Thank you my purple haired friend, the shogun expects to hear from the Hajimon in one week" Ayane curtly nodded still on one knee. She felt him reach down and put his hand on her head and she swelled with pride, he deemed her actions worthy of recognition.

"What is your name"  
"I am Ayane"  
"And your surname"  
"I do not have one"

Instead of reeling back and looking upon her with discus as most would since she is the offspring born of an evil act he slid his thumb over her head understanding it all, but not judging her in the least.  
"Arigato"  
"Iie" He pulled his hand back and she stood up.

Reaching into his cloak the messenger pulled out a scroll case, inside it was the message for Hayate.  
"Give this to him immediately upon his return, can you be relied on?"  
"Now and always"  
"Go child, the shogun protects you"

Ayane took the scroll in her hands and bowed to the shogun's messenger who bowed slightly in return. The messenger turned and pulled his cloak over his head and walked along the dirt path slowly. Ayane turned towards the village and walked to the door before turning and vanishing into thin air.

She had to see Him now

--

Kasumi continued running and ran two steps up the tree before jumping off and turning to face Sereo. She kicked him in the head and he caught the foot there and threw her to the ground.

"Don't trust me" Kasumi got up on her elbows and looked behind her to see Sereo walking towards her.

"How did you ever elude anyone Kasumi San?"

Kasumi jumped up and double kicked Sereo but he blocked both kicks and drew a kunai. He threw it at her and it nicked her cheek, the blood slowly trickling down.

"Now you see, I can kill you, I will kill you unless you come at me with true intent"  
"I don't want to fight you Sereo."

Sereo sunk into his stance as Kasumi stood there staring at him with a drop of blood trailing down her cheek.

"So you're a lair then Kasumi chan, I thought you'd do everything you could to get to your brother, I guess not, you're just a scared girl crying for someone to save her."

Sereo drew the sword on his back and crossed the distance between her in an instant. He swung downwards and she lowered her stance bringing her katana to meet his at the edge of her neck.

"I do not need protection." She pushed back on the sword and he took a step back as a smile formed on his face, she switched her stance and brought her katana down to her right side.

Sereo and her parried blow for blow using the same standard Mugen Tenshion style until Sereo jabbed and spun twice and sunk lower spinning one more time in a style similar to Ayane. Kasumi blocked all three and kicked him. He flew up but scissor kicked her catching her on his way forward and sending her towards the ground. Kasumi shot out her hand and flipped up catching his leg with her own as she turned towards him.

Sereo landed on his feet and smirked.

"Much better Sumi Chan"  
"This is not training, you are not to judge!"

Sereo blocked her strike and knocked her weapon out of her hand. Kasumi then ducked to dodge his spinning back kick and sprung up. His fist hurdled toward her face with his katana and she turned her body and shot out her arms, one hitting his elbow and on hitting his wrist and his weapon flew into the tree penetrating the bark enough to stick.

Kasumi then spun around bringing her body close to the floor and kicking out to sweep him. He fell forward towards the ground and landed on his hands bringing his feet down quickly and wrapping them around her neck.

Kasumi's eyes widened and she fought to free herself, but he managed to roll them so that he pinned her down as he slowly cut off her airways. Kasumi let a tear escape her eye as she fought back; she managed to free one hand and desperately clawed at him managing to scratch his forearm leaving a tine red line of blood behind.

"You let emotion judge your actions, one is your friend only if the circumstance allows it, if not, they are your enemy."

Kasumi heard his words loud and clear but all she wanted was to succumb to the numbness,

"I accepted the fact that I would die by your hands, which is why I did not fear you and why I beat you, he who accepts that he is dead, is unstoppable."

Kasumi's vision got hazy and she knew it was the end, she didn't get to see Hayate, or Ryu, she didn't get... to...

"Know that you are dead, and you will become the mist Kasumi" (her name means mist.)

Kasumi felt the pressure on her body release and she inhaled the air greedily while turning towards Sereo who walked over to the tree to get his katana. She was disoriented and thought he would end her now, she was dead. She would not go down without a fight, Sereo was now her enemy. She narrowed her eyes, he had to die.

Sereo pulled the Katana out of the tree and to Kasumi's surprise sheathed the weapon. Turning to her he smirked and Kasumi narrowed her eyes further towards this familiar stranger.

"Know that you were as good as dead."

Kasumi spoke with venom never heard from the passive shinobi.

"I will not die by your hands" She sunk into her battle stance and readied herself for battle.

"And I will kill you if you attempt to strike me."

"That's the attitude you needed at the beginning of the fight, then you would not have lost to me, Kasumi"  
"What are you saying?" He vanished and appeared fifteen feet behind her, she turned quickly and seen him bend to pick up her katana.  
"That I could've killed you, if anyone had become your 'friend' they could kill you, that you need to be wary, that you are a Shinobi! And you need to act like one."  
"Why are you doing this?"  
"Because I know the whole story, and I am going to help you"  
"Why?"  
"Because no one helped my sister, and she was killed, I will not let Hayate sama go through the same pain."  
"You thought she was guilty too"  
"I killed her"

Kasumi dropped her hands and looked to him in utter shock  
"And unless you shape up, Hayate will kill you"  
"Nonsense!"  
"He is power hungry and ignorant, and he is not your brother anymore"  
(("Uresai!")) (idk if that's spelt right)

Sereo looked up shocked to see her crying while clenching her fist and breathing heavily.  
"Kasumi chan"  
"Don't call me that! Don't-Don't confuse me like this, I thought you were my friend, then my enemy, now you're my friend again? Why?"  
"We need to eat, then leave and hide, then I will explain it all"  
"What?"

--

Ryu looked down to see Ayane  
"What is it"  
"The shogun sends a message to Hayate"  
"So why are you here"  
"Because you are wiser and I do not trust his judgment, you have three hours, I told the messenger he was gone for the day"  
"You lied to the messenger"  
"I had to"  
"Give me the scroll" Without hesitation Ayane took out the scroll and threw it to Ryu who opened it in the same instant he caught it.

"I see"  
"What is it"  
"War"  
"Again?"  
"Hai, but this is suspicious"  
"Shimatta"  
"Bring this to Hayate now, tell him that the shogun wishes a response in 8 days no more no less"  
"He said a week"  
"Which is why I say 8 days"  
"Hai, Hai, ano Hayate wants to see you"  
"I know"  
"You know everything don't you"

Ryu looked over not knowing how to respond, was that an insult or a compliment, or the sarcasm thing?

"Anyway, he is sending you to kill her"  
"Kasumi?"  
"Who else?"  
"I see"

--

Kasumi stood in the same spot she was since Sereo released her from his choke hold and watched as Sereo cleaned up the camp and packed everything up.

She slid her hand around her waist and gripped her katana sheath; the man in front of her still had her katana. He turned to her and was instantly by her side holding out her katana towards her. She took it and sheathed it.  
"I still don't understand"  
"Maybe it's my atonement for what I did to my sister."

Kasumi nodded solemnly and bit her lip as he turned away, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't figure this man out. He was so unique, almost like herself. Kasumi felt him by her side again,

"Do you trust me?" She closed her eyes  
"How can I?"  
"That wasn't the question"  
"I do" Kasumi felt an arm wrap around her waist and opened her eyes to see that they were in a different clearing than the one before. He released her and tossed her a pack

"Let's set up camp." Kasumi nodded and moved mechanically,

--

Hayate turned towards the guest in his room when the breeze stopped gently caressing his skin and seen Ayane besides him; she was there on business and business only.  
"What brings you here?" He asked turning back to his papers, usually it was just another mission report,  
"The Shogun" Hayate's eyes widened and he looked to Ayane expecting her the tell him 'sorry bad joke' but all she did was pull a scroll from her pouch and hold it out to him. He took it slowly wondering what was inside, the last note called for a war, one that killed his father and left his mother vulnerable enough to be raped and as a result, Ayane was born.

He read the kanji carefully, the note was sort and direct. There was to be war again, it was left unsaid.

(I)

Dear Leader of the Mugen Tenshion, I, the shogun have noticed the boundaries between you and the Tsube tribe and fear an all out war, this is why I request you to bring your strongest Ninja with you when you come here, I need a list of who is coming with you, you are only allowed three companions, I expect a response before the full moon.

"That is in a week"  
"Ryu said to respond in eight days"  
"He usually knows best"  
"What will we do?"  
"We need to find Hayabusa Ryu and Hideki Yuki and get them ready to go" Ayane curtly nodded  
"Hai"  
"And Ayane"  
"Hai?"  
"Get ready too." Hayate turned to his paperwork and felt a slight breeze coming from the window, he sighed and signed the last one, he needed to relax.

"Hayate sama, I brought you some... tea..." She looked into the room and sighed shaking her head, they were too quiet when they disappeared.  
"Oh well more for me."

--

Ryu seen Ayane appear at the edge of the branch.  
"I assume I was chosen"  
She disappeared with a smile. He frowned and looked back towards the sky.

--

"I need to kill you" Kasumi stopped and turned to him,  
"You should've killed me before"  
"You don't understand, when you are dead they will stop chasing you and I can go back to the village, I have a couple of days left, and I will train you in some things. With the exception of Hayabusa, you were the strongest in the village."  
"Hai,"  
"Because you had something to come home to, I will make you strong enough on the inside that no matter what, you'll still be that strong."  
"And how are you going to kill me"  
"Well, I have proof of us fighting already." Kasumi glanced at his wounds and knew that they were indeed proof,

"I'm going to take that ribbon" Kasumi nodded,  
"A piece of your dress and part of your hair."  
"And they'll believe you"  
"That's what I bring of all people, I respect the dead so I burn the bodies as soon as I kill them, I also need the katana"  
"I never go anywhere without it"  
"That's my point, besides I will ask to keep it and they'll be so happy you're gone that they'll let me keep it"  
"Great..."  
"That Kasumi, is what I will teach you to hide, disappointment, fear, anger, I will teach you"  
"Then, you will leave me"  
"Hai, I will be back though, I have to teach you all I know, maybe then I can feel redeemed."  
"Sereo, I don't hold this against you"  
"That's why I have to do this."

Kasumi understood and she felt him come closer and draw his blade, and she trusted him. He cut her hair and then a part of her face, it wouldn't scar, and it got her blood on the blade. He swung it as to stimulate the fight and where the blood would travel and he took the ribbon and wrapped it around the hair he cut. He also cut the dress and put everything in the pack.  
"As for now, let's eat."

--

Hayabusa looked up to Hayate and Ayane in complete 'super ninja' mode and they looked back waiting for the final member to walk in.

"Ohiyo Ieto sama, Ayane san and Hayabusa sama, I am Hideki Yuki"  
"Ohiyo, sit" She did and the situation was explained to her. Her mother was chosen 16 years ago to be the medic and had died leaving her motherless and her father cold and distant.

"Yuki san, will you join us"  
"Hai" she bowed to the three of them and stood up,  
"I need to inform my father and I need to pack"  
"We leave at the end of the week."

--

Kasumi turned towards Sereo with a fire in her eyes.  
"Why"  
"Stop asking me that"  
"Fine!"Kasumi stood up and tore off the blue outfit leaving herself in only her very revealing one piece under it.  
"Here" Kasumi blinked and he was in front of her holding a black version with a golden trim.  
"There is no-"  
"You have betrayed the Hajimon, it is time you acted the part."  
"Sereo I-"  
"Kasumi, you know it to be true, you are a ninja free from the village, don't be held down by its symbol"  
"I... Arigato Sereo..." She put it on and tied her orange hair up in a regular ponytail using a black ribbon from her pack.

"You are a fragile girl, emotionally, so there is a technique my sister used that I will show you, eventually it will become natural, you will separate your conscience, one will be you, as you are, the other needs to be the ruthless killer you were trained to be, someone that can even kill me"

Hayate remained unsaid

Kasumi nodded and knew this was for the best, even if she felt like it was wrong in so many ways.

"Kasumi chan, I need you to agree to this, it cannot be done unless you want it to be"  
"I'll do whatever it takes to see Hayate again, to be part of my village and have my family"  
"And to do that, you need to renounce you village for real."

Sereo handed her two sticks and pointed to the blue cloth on the ground.

"Burn it, break your bond completely so that a new one can form." Kasumi's eyes hardened and she lit her mark of loyalty, on fire. It burned, so did the tears streaming down her face.

--

Sereo caught them food and burned the leftovers over the spot where Kasumi burned her outfit.

"In case they investigate" he answered her unasked question. "They'll see burned flesh along with the outfit."  
"H-Hai"  
"You are dead" he said to the wind  
"Now you can live" Kasumi nodded and stood next to him as they looked off of the cliff.

"Teach me how to live too" Kasumi nodded her head and they made their way back to the tents.

--

"Hayate Sama, Tademo Sereo san is here, he says he accomplished his mission"

Hayate dropped his pack and disappeared from sight.

"Is it true?"  
Sereo opened his pack and pulled out the ribbon, hair and outfit piece.  
"This is what you normally bring, but I need more" Sereo turned to the side when Hayabusa walked into the room and his eyes found Sereo's hand.  
"That's Kasumi's favorite ribbon." Ryu said in shock and realized his mistake later.

Sereo didn't want to pull it out now, and risk Hayabusa killing him later, but he knew he had to,

"Is this enough?" He pulled out the Katana and seen Ryu's jade eyes harden as his lips flattened. Hayate grabbed the sword and inspected it,  
"It's hers"  
"Hai, or shall I take you to the body, it is close, she almost got into the village, I was on my way back when I seen her, she was stronger than you Hayate Sama"  
"She's always been, not anymore" Hayate said and Sereo decided to ask now.  
"She was the toughest opponent I've ever faced, I wish to keep the sword as a keepsake of a great battle and a worthy opponent" Hayate nodded, many shinobi wanted those, and threw the sword to him.  
"Take me to the body" Hayabusa said with cold jade eyes as he appeared in front of Sereo and put Kasumi's sword in his vest pocket.

"Hai"

--

Kasumi watched hidden in the trees above as Sereo came to the clearing and pointed where they had burned 'her' days before.  
"It's a couple of days old,"  
"Took me a couple of days to recover."  
"There is a burned carcass and clothing," He bent down and picked up a strand of orange hair and shook his head sadly.  
"You got your wish, Hayate _Sama_, your sister is dead."

Kasumi watched as Hayate smirked and she felt herself slipping and resorting to tears, but she let her other self take over and felt only nothing.

"I'm staying here for another week, I'll be back then"  
"I understand, heal well, we have received news from the Shogun"  
"Again?"  
"Hai"

Hayabusa was gone and Kasumi noted, not the look of defeat written on his face, but the fact that he had her sword and that she wasn't getting it back.

Hayate too, disappeared into the trees, Sereo turned to the camp and seen Kasumi with logs,  
"I'll start the fire, catch some fish for us"  
"Hai, Kasumi chan."  
"And eventually I'm getting my Katana back"  
"Hai"

--

Hayabusa walked into the dojo and Ayane waved, he walked past her and she frowned,  
"what's eating him?"  
"This" Hayate walking behind him handed Ayane the ribbon holding hair.  
"Tademo san..."  
"He accomplished our mission"  
"Hai, that's great news"

But it wasn't, not only was Kasumi dead, but Hayabusa was going to kill Sereo. Ayane looked to Hayabusa and gave Hayate back the hair.

"Ryu seems to be taking it hard"  
"He pretends to care for her, but I know that he wanted to kill her himself". Ayane wished Hayate knew just how wrong he was.

Ayane was pretty easy to figure out, she was loving and wanted a family, she had always wanted what her half sister had, Hayate, Ryu, Ayame, the list went on, and she couldn't forgive Kasumi for throwing it all away. She couldn't forgive Kasumi for having it in the first place. Now, she realized that Kasumi lost it all and became like her when she left. Yet she couldn't forgive her.

Deep inside she had always been nice, her and Kasumi would play in the lake and she would play with everyone else, until they found out she was parentless. Kasumi never cared and Ayane loved her for it, even though she had been jealous. It all changed when Ayame asked to see her alone

"Ayane, I am your mother, please forgive me"

Ayane felt saddened to know that she had caused her mother pain and then it angered her, why her, why was she chosen to be the evil spawn. Then she began to envy her sister,

Why must she get everything, what makes her better than me, more disserving than me?

From the envy grew hate, as Kasumi would always defeat her that she grew to be the strongest in the village, she had only lost to Ryu, but Ryu was never a real part of the village. So Kasumi was the strongest, and Ayane had to struggle. And it was a slap in the face to find out that Kasumi left it all behind. No, because a slap wouldn't hurt or faze a Kunochi. She waited until it was dark and stormy, when Hayate was being tended to, to leave.

It was as if she said 'Ayane, blame me for your problems, but now that I'm gone, try to fill my place, just try'

And Ayane couldn't do it, Ryu still had vowed to protect her, and Hayate was now sworn to kill her, so was the village, no matter what she did, Kasumi was the center of attention, and she didn't want to be.

It really pissed Ayane off.

--

Hayabusa sat staring straight at the shrine with his legs folded under him and his arms on his legs. Some respected his wish to be in peace and some people stared as they passed by, some pointed at the 'Super Ninja' as they told their friends something about him. He drowned them all out and focused; he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing every muscle, one at a time. He felt his heart beat and focused on his breathing while letting everything escape his mind. He felt calm finally, and he now needed to solve his problem.

Kasumi is dead.

His eyes shot open and his muscles all tensed as if he could save her right here right now and his heart beat sped up, adrenaline pumping through his veins, he felt for his katana and jumped up disappearing out of the temple and appearing in an empty field, meditation would not solve this problem. His muscles flexed and inflexed at his command reshaping the forest.

--

**Chapter End:**

**TDS:** I'm going to end it here, I wrote this on my phone so idk how it compares length wise so I'm just going to stop here because I feel like it's enough.

Triple R!


	5. It begins

TheDarkestShinobi: OMG, I just seen Dead Fantasy 3, 4 and five, anyone who has not seen them go see them now,

Looks to audience

We'll wait. Lol, Jeff dunham, another person you should watch, anyway, the scene at the end of five with Kasumi, (Not gonna spoil it) I am not a fan girl but I was like "Whoo hoo!" when 'it' happened, if you watch it you'll know what it is. Anyway it inspired me to write more DOA!

Oh, I love you guys btw; this is my most reviewed story! Well, with people writing coherent things.

Oh and I don't know about Ryu crying, at least not yet, but if it fits I'll put it.

**Chapter start**

Ryu sat against the bark of the tree, his mask was in his hand on the floor and his sword base was on the floor next to him, with the hilt resting on his right shoulder, his right knee was bent so that his knee came up to his chest level, his other leg was laying straight on the dirt, and he was staring at the training grounds. His hair was loose behind him almost touching the ground.

His eyes passed over all the damage he had caused to the innocent training grounds. Trees were destroyed, some of them ripped from the ground, some having chunks of their trucks missing and some just missing. The ground was scorched in places and cut up in others.

Teams of children stood at the edge of the forest in awe as the watched the Jade Eyed Ninja destroy the forest and display "true power." In what looked like a dance this part of the forest was destroyed. Children pointed and stared some gaping as he disappeared and reappeared rapidly to cut a tree into splinters before it hit the ground; it was something Kasumi taught him. Their senseis would tell them stories about Ryu's talent and how they were lucky enough to witness this because most people who seen any of his skill were dead before they could say that they did.

They said anyone who was close enough to see his jade eyes was as good as dead.  
The children were silent as they stared in awe at the destruction, even now as Ryu sat against the tree, not even slightly breathless, they continued to stare. Ryu knew that they were there, and that they would brag to all their friends that they got to see the Hayabusa Ryu training. He closed his eyes and felt the people coming closer.

"Hayabusa sama that was awesome!" A girl yelled out before her sensei put his hand over her mouth. Everyone looked to the girl in shock as Ryu stood up and walked over to her, mask in place and sword on his back. Some people actually stepped back as Ryu looked at the sensei who removed his hand looking away and the girl looked up at him, she was breathless as she seen the beautiful eyes everyone spread rumors about and then slightly bowed her head to him. He put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"Trees don't fight back"

He released her hair and she looked up at him as if saying through her eyes 'I get it but I don't want to hurt anything else.' Ryu turned from her and walked into the village slowly feeling all their eyes linger on him. Her eyes reminded him of someone he knew and still has to say goodbye to, and it was too soon for that. He knew the pain of loss before, when his entire clan was slaughtered, but he had vented by becoming a killing machine. He couldn't now, first off he could see her face as she chided him, gently, that she would never want that and secondly, the ninja who killed her was part of his clan, and her brother was also to blame because he wouldn't listen to reason, he just wanted her dead because she had betrayed the clan.

He walked through the village and felt people point and stare, he always had to deal with this, he was a monster and people loved him for it, he usually just appeared where he wanted to be to avoid walking through the crowd but today he didn't feel he had anywhere to be. He took a step back as a purple haired Kunochi appeared when he was,

"Ryu"  
"Ayane"  
"Come with me" She said in a commanding tone as she walked closer to him and touched his arm, almost intimately, and they both disappeared.

She kept her hand against his bicep as he looked down at her. He was confused, why was she touching him so intimately when they were not involved in any romantic way? He seen her shift, and was able to tell she was nervous but determined to do what ever she had set out to do. He looked over her head to see where she brought them.

"Ryu kun" he felt her hand on his mask and looked down into her eyes.  
"You need to let her go, kill Sereo san if you must, but you can not go on like this." Ryu grabbed her hand firmly and brought it down quickly.  
"You brought me here to tell me this." It wasn't a question, he knew this but she always had ulterior motives, underneath her hard exterior was someone who really did care. She grabbed the forearm her hand was on before and grabbed the other forearm and as much as Ryu wanted to push her away because she was too close, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had heard from his sensei that people, in a state of emotional weakness sought out to touch and be touched and that it was a basic human need that he had overcome by being a 'super ninja' as they liked to call him. But that would mean he was emotionally weak now, why? If it was because of Kasumi then it was because he cared for her more than he had ever admitted, but it did not matter because a ninja was never to make friends or have a lover, because it was a weakness.

"You need to let her go" she repeated with emphasis on the need. Ryu nodded, even his sensei would agree that he needed to let her go; in fact his sensei would say it was a good thing that she died. Now he didn't have that weakness. Now he was stronger.

Ryu felt her release him and she lunged into him. Ignoring his want to throw her and slice her in half for it he simply stood still and let her hug him. Kasumi told him that hugs were the best for helping somebody who needed comfort and that sometimes it's best to say nothing so Ryu brought his arms up and wrapped them around her as he did with Kasumi all those years ago when she told him what she was going to do and Ryu warned her of the consequences. He offered to go with her but she declined saying he belonged here, this was something she needed to do alone and that she would be back. They ended up following her there anyway.

He wanted to pretend that it was that October evening years ago and that he hadn't just lost part of his family.

He felt droplets of water land on his shirt and she started to shake in his hold.

"I hated her" Ryu's train of thought was interrupted and didn't know what to say so he stayed silent.  
"I wanted what she had so badly, I wanted Hayate, I wanted you... I..." Ryu was confused, she had that, from the start, and Kasumi left everything behind when she left.  
"And I wanted to kill her" At this Ryu narrowed his eyes and unconsciously tightened his hold.  
"See, she's dead, and yet you think of protecting her instead of helping me, the weak girl..." she said this as if she was scolding herself. She shook her head  
"...who's in your arms"

"I wanted everything from her, now I don't! I don't want her dead, I never did! I just wanted to be better than her, to prove that I disserved what she had." Ryu felt her weight press on him and knew she would've fallen to her knees if he wasn't there. Her shaking stopped and she sighed.

"Oh Kami Ryu" She said semi relived to have gotten it all out as Ryu held her not knowing what else to do. She shook and then pulled back.  
"Thanks" She wiped away her tears and laughed, she had a good long hard laugh. Ryu watched her interested in just what was going on, she wiped tears from her face and put her hands on her hips taking a deep breath.  
"I'll never have what she did, but I'm not her" She turned and walked to the end of the cliff to see the village below. Ryu walked next to her and she laughed again but this time it was small and bitter.  
"It only took her dying for me to realize that"

Ryu wanted to tell her about Kasumi's real reason for leaving and how these events transpired but he remembered his oath, that he promised to keep the secret until the grave, he shook his head, his grave, not hers. He crossed his hands over his chest.

"You're too quiet, it's bothering you still, ironic, I planned to help you and only helped myself."  
"Hn"  
"Well, we're leaving soon, maybe that'll distract you" Ryu looked over to his new village and closed his eyes sensing Ayane disappear. He opened them looking into the sky.

_"Hayate is calling me... Don't die on me Kasumi"_

She hadn't responded, she didn't promise that she wouldn't, he should've made her promise instead of hurrying to help fight DOATEC with Hayate and Ayane to protect the Mugen Tenshin; it wasn't even his village.

He closed his eyes and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding; maybe it was a good thing she died, he'd get these unprecedented feelings out of the way and be better because of it.

This was just the hard part.

--

Kasumi looked into her reflection in the pond. Her normal blue outfit was replaced with a black one without a symbol proving her loyalty. She clenched her fist, she had no loyalty, she had betrayed her village and Hayate. How could she?

The water rippled and she noticed that it was her tear that caused it.

"Kasumi chan, it was necessary"  
"They just let me go, Hayate was happy to see me dead. Just like you said when you told me what you were going to do. I didn't expect you to be right."  
"Kasumi" She turned to Sereo and was pulled into a hug. She cried into his chest as he ran his hands up and down her back soothingly.

_He really had wanted her dead._

"What if I stay dead?" She asked as she stopped crying and left her head in Sereo's chest.

"What if Kasumi stays dead?"  
"Don't,"  
"I'm serious, I can pretend to be somebody else, maybe I can finally be accepted and have a family,"  
"You can never be anyone else" Sereo said as he grabbed her hair gently. Her orange hair was unlike any other in Japan; it was true, her hair was just as known as Ayane's and Ryu's eyes.  
"I know it's hard, but you have to have faith like you have had for years."  
"Hn..."  
"If you still want to be someone else after we deal with the Shogun then I'll help you"

--

Hayate nodded and dismissed the team of ninja that told him about Hayabusa's destruction of one of the training grounds. He knew that Ryu was still weak enough to care about Kasumi but he needed to snap out of it, they were going to see the Shogun and Ryu has to represent the Mugen Tenshin well. He was the strongest.

--

"I have to go back Kasumi chan"  
"I know" She said without looking up, her long hair was tied in a braid behind her and she was using a kunai to cut up the wood into a structure, it was a pastime of hers that she finally had a chance to do since no one was chasing her anymore.  
"Can I keep this one" Kasumi briefly looked up to see him holding a wooden structure of hers; it was of a mermaid sitting on a rock as her hair fell over her shoulders.  
"It's not done yet" She felt him stand behind her and put his arms on her shoulders holding it in front of her,  
"You want to finish it now"  
"Sure" She smiled and took it from him.  
"Ryu Ayane and Hayate are leaving the village"  
"To go see the Shogun" she finished as she started to carve in the blank face  
"I'm going into the village, with you" Her eyes widened and she almost cut the head off. Turning quickly she was face to face with him  
"I want you to talk to your mother,"  
"But... I..."  
"You want to"  
"Yes, but"  
"Then that's all there is to it." He grinned and Kasumi playfully pushed him over.

--

Ryu had successfully managed to get Kasumi out of his mind, he wasn't used to the idea that she was dead, but he just didn't think about her as much as before, though when he did he was found "training." It frustrated him that he was having trouble forgetting her when it took him just a week to forget his entire clan. He looked up to the dojo shrine and heard someone coming in.

"Ryu we're all leaving"  
"Hai" He got up and bowed before leaving behind her.

"Ayane, Ryu, are you ready"  
"Hai"  
"Yeah, where the other girl?" Ayane asked as she put her hands on her hips.  
"Right here Ayane sama" Ayane looked over to see Yuki sitting there, her short black hair falling to the top of her shoulders and her brown eyes taking in the three 'legendary' ninja before her. Hayabusa Ryu, the Jade Eyed Ninja, the strongest man in Japan and most likely the world. Ieto Hayate, the leader of the Hajimon, the Mugen Tenshin, second only to Hayabusa, but he was weaker than his now deceased sister. Ayane (no surname) the half sister of Hayate and his sister Kasumi, the result of her mother's rape by Raidou.

She blinked, Kasumi was supposedly dead, killed by Tademo Sereo, she knew otherwise. Though Sereo was ruthless, even taking down his sister in cold blood, he was simply not strong enough, unless he was downplayed and had not ever challenged Ryu or Hayate. She seen the blue sheath that Ryu had in his chest vest and looked to Hayate, maybe she was dead but she wouldn't believe it yet.

"We leave for the Shogun now, make sure you have everything you need, taking in what happened to my father expect a fight"

"Hai" Yuki said and seen Ayane nod curtly and Ryu do absolutely nothing other than cross his arms.

"Let's go" Ryu said as he jumped up onto the roof followed by the other three. He jumped off and landed on the road just outside of the village gates, and they started running as soon as their feet hit the ground.

--

"Beautiful" Kasumi blushed as she looked away and held the mermaid out for Sereo to see.  
"The mermaid's nice to"  
"Hey!" Kasumi tossed it up and he caught it smirking.  
"Ready"  
"No" She said as she looked down, nervous about entering the village, even though it's what she's been fighting for for years.  
"Good" He grabbed her hand and they disappeared.

--

Ayame poured herself a cup of tea when the door in front of her slid open to reveal a man, she couldn't tell too much about him because his head was bowed.

"Ohiy..." her words died on her lips as the man raised his head. It was the ninja she had heard so much about, the one that finally killed the rouge Nin, the orange haired doe eyed shinobi, Kasumi.  
"Why are you here" The man bowed his head slightly in respect.  
"I know what you have heard of me Ieto Sama, it is not all true."  
"What is not?"  
"I cannot say, but allow me to introduce somebody."  
"I will offer no such allowance!"  
"Okaasan" It was a whisper but enough to silence the woman in the room.

"Okaasan, it's me" Kasumi opened the door further and peered inside, her head was the only thing visible to her mother.  
"Kas-"  
"Hai, no need to say it" Ayame's tears fell freely down her face as her and her daughter embraced each other.  
"I am indeed grateful but I do not understand I heard that you killed her"  
"No" He raised his head "I pretended to kill her"  
"By dying Okaasan, I can begin to live, I just needed to see you"  
"Hai, what of Hayate and Ryu"  
"I have seen them mother" Kasumi clenched her fist as Sereo came closer. He put his hand on her shoulder as he kneeled on his left knee and she calmed putting her training to use.  
"They did not grieve after seeing "me" dead, in fact my Oniisan rejoiced."  
"No, he has not been himself lately"  
"Our family is not what it was, I ruined that, and I am sorry for it, but I do not need to face them ever again."  
"At least see Ryu, he is not himself, hasn't been since your death, he even wants to fight with you when he returns" Sereo paled and Kasumi looked over to him calming him.  
"I don't really-"  
"Kasumi, trust me, you two care more for each other than you care to admit."  
"He should hate me, and I him, you cannot tell of my existence." Kasumi grabbed her mother's cheek softly and pressed her forehead against hers,  
"I will miss you, as I have for years"  
"Goodbye my daughter" Sereo then put his fist on the ground and bowed towards Kasumi's mother.

"I hope one day you can forgive me Ieto hime"  
"Today I do, thank you for everything, and you may address me less formally"  
"It was my pleasure hime"  
"Take care of Kasumi"  
"As long as she is with me, I will not let her die"  
"Arigato"  
"Goodbye mother"  
"Ja ne, Ayame hime"  
"Ja ne" She said as she watched her lean back to touch his chest with her back and disappear leaving Sakura petals behind. Her mother knew Kasumi left them for her sake and she picked them all up getting a book to press them in.

--

"You are leaving now"  
"Hai, you stay here, if what I think is happening is happening you are needed"  
"For the village."  
"No, as I said, your alliance is gone" She bit her lip  
"Hai"  
"The Shogun has and always will crave blood and war. You will go there with me for the second wave, if he calls one, and you will take him out"  
"Hai, but why me"  
"You have no alliance, you will not force them to be one sided in the future."  
"Sou ka" Kasumi grabbed two pieces of wood and threw them onto the previous pile of wood they used for their fire. She then turned over to Sereo and pointed at the river  
"Fish?"  
"No, bird" she said rolling her eyes playfully.  
"But they don't taste as good" He stuck out his tongue as he dodged the kunai and ran towards the water. Kasumi smiled and looked up to the sky as a single tear ran down her face.

"Oniisan..."

**Flashback **

_(Kasumi 7, Hayate 8)_

_"Oniisan" Kasumi called out playfully as she jumped up the tree branches, he had always done this to her, taking flowers she was about to pick and make her chase him for them, he always gave them back and it was fun so she didn't mind... too much._

_She jumped up and caught a kunai aimed for her. Her brother appeared with the rose in his hand.  
"Come on slowpoke."  
"Hey" She threw it back and he caught it disappearing, Kasumi put her hands on her hips,  
"I'll learn that someday! I'll be the best at it!"_

**End Flashback**

_"You got your wish__**, Hayate Sama,**__ your sister is dead."_

_Hayate smirked  
_  
Kasumi's eyes hardened as she wiped the tear away.

"Hayate, I wish you still valued me as a sister, the way I value you as my brother, but the next time we meet, I wish you mean as little to me as I to you"

She looked into the burning wood and swore. If Hayate raised his sword against her she would kill him.

She hoped she wouldn't have to.

"Kasumi chan" Sereo said in a singsong voice as he walked over with the fish, she looked to him and smiled  
"You're getting slow ojiisan" He dropped the fish  
"Ojiisan!" He tackled her and she squealed as he began to tickle her, she managed to get him to stop but he pinned her down, his legs outside of hers and his hands pinning hers down. She stuck her tongue out and shifted her wrist so he was sent crashing into her; except she disappeared last minute and he met the dirt.

"Hey" he looked to her to see her cooking the fish with a smile on her face. She frowned  
"I used to play like this with him"  
"And I with her."

Kasumi nodded, maybe she could replace his sister, the way he was replacing Hayate. She gave him some fish when they were done and watched him get ready to leave. He turned to her as she held her hands together over her heart looking down,

"Kasumi chan"  
"Hai..."  
"Take care of yourself" she nodded and looked up into his eyes as he looked down into hers.  
"And don't cry, crybaby" She pouted.  
"Will not, I don't even like you anyway"  
"That's my girl" he kissed her forehead and stepped back disappearing in a burst of flame, she crossed her arms  
"Show off, baka Oniisan…" she laughed and turned to the camp, she had better clean up as if he had really left.

--

_"I have promised your brother I cannot let you die." Kasumi looked at him sighing.  
"I must do this" Ryu ignored her.  
"Know also that the path of the ninja is a long and difficult one" He settled into his stance and she did the same.  
"I know more than anyone Ryu kun" Ryu stood up putting his hands to his sides and she blinked in shock.  
"I will not harm you, therefore you would win the fight, there is not point in even fighting"  
"You don't wish me dead"  
"That is between you and your clan, I am alone remember" Kasumi shook her head.  
"You don't have to be"  
"Hayate and Ayane are busy with __**DOATEC**__, so you should be left alone, if you don't seek them out."  
"I will"  
"I know, be safe"  
"Eh, you'll save me, even if I don't need you to" Ryu smiled under his mask, knowing it to be true._

The memory faded and he seen her on that same bridge with hair that looked like it was cut by a blade, her clothes were ripped and her skin was all cut up, her lips in a sneer,  
"But you won't if I do"

Ryu's eyes opened and he jumped into a tree branch sitting down and looking out into the horizon,

"Go to sleep Yuki san, I will keep watch"  
"Hai, Hayabusa san"

What was wrong with him? Kasumi's face kept popping up in his dreams. He cleared his mind and opened his eyes to see the full moon. He knew that people often had dreams or nightmares about the ones they loved when they were or soon would be in danger, if that was true then Kasumi would be alive. Ryu shook his head and pulled out her katana, she was dead; he needed to stop deluding himself before he made a habit out of it.

_**She was dead.**_

He had to keep saying that, he didn't believe it though, and he didn't know why. He pulled out the blade and it glowed in the moonlight.

Everybody lives, everybody dies, and he knew that more than anyone else ever could.

He put the blade back and looked into the night sky.

Why did she change everything?

**Chapter End**

**TDS: **there are some things I didn't like but the story will get better, I hope… anyway, I'm thinking Ryu doesn't know that Kasumi and Sereo see themselves as siblings and there is some jealousy going on, what do you think?


	6. Kita Santi

**TheDarkestShinobi:** Next chapter up! The name of the chapter means North Mountain which is the name of the place.

**Chapter Start**

He heard the door opening behind him and the sound of the person dropping to the floor respectfully even before the Shogun could acknowledge his presence.

"Shogun sama"  
"Hai" The Shogun said as he turned from his spot to see one of his messengers, this messenger had long brown hair behind him in a braid and kneeled with his fist on the floor, it was the one he had sent to the Hajimon to deliver his message, they purposefully, he was sure, responded a day late, it irked him. The Mugen Tenshin was unlike any other clan; they were feisty and always followed the rules, but found ways to go around them.

The Hayabusa village was his favorite until its murder, they were smart and peaceful and always seemed to have wisdom far older than their age, and it was a Hayabusa trait that he found himself getting since he could only read and write in his "new life."

He looked back to the man in front of him who was on the floor kneeling and looking down, his hair now touching the floor. It was common practice to kneel like that in the presence of the Shogun; in fact he often could not tell what his servants' faces looked like. It was another thing that had irked him but it was one of the things he had to get used to.

"They are almost here, they will be here shortly Shogun Sama"  
"I see, dismissed" The man stood before bowing respectively and leaving the room and leaving the Shogun by himself. He usually was by himself because no one deemed themselves worthy enough to be in his presence and therefore he spent most of his time meditating. He also read a lot and people admired the wisdom of the Shogun, when in reality if you locked anyone up and only allowed them to read they would soon posses the same knowledge.

He didn't like his job too much, but it was his duty, and he would do it for honor, he would waste his life away for honor. It was a common policy in Japan. The Shogun was deemed the highest law in the land in this part of Japan that stayed feudal. The other parts had begun to adapt to this new technology and leave feudalism behind. He hoped that soon the tradition of the Shogun would soon be left behind as well.

He had long black hair pulled back into a low ponytail as it was a custom not to cut hair, in fact everyone who lived in Kita Santi had long hair, he also had dark brown eyes and pale skin as if he didn't leave the house too much, which was true, the Shogun was doomed to live in the palace for their entire life.

He contemplated the way he was living his life as he heard the cackle of burning wood, he had never done anything worthy of his title and he wished they wouldn't call him Shogun Sama. He had only been called Shogun Sama since his father died, if fact his own mother now referred to him as Shogun Sama, the same way she had spoken to his father. There was a sense of formality in his family, like his mother and sister felt as if they did not belong to the family, that they were not worthy of being in the presence of the Shoguns.

His sister had not spoken to him since he was given his title, she had simply said

"I will miss you Oniisan" and then she was struck for not addressing him with the proper title. His mother and sister bowed to him and called him Shogun Sama, and then the rest of the village did as well. That was all he had been referred to ever since.

He had long ago forgotten his name.

Looking into the fire burning besides him for warmth he put his right hand into a fist putting his left hand over it and holding his hands up to his face, but a good two feet in front of him. He bowed to the fire and turned to the scene behind him.

He smoothed out his blue yukata and kneeled looking out into the forest. The entire wall was missing and he sat looking out into the world with determined eyes. Like his father, and all the Shogun before him he needed to bring peace before it was too late.

_"There are two different Ninja tribes in the villages hidden in the mountains where no unwelcome party may reach them, the Koga of Tsube, and the Hajimon of the Mugen Tenshin."_

_**(A/N: I imagined this as a movie scene, the quotes are what the Shogun says and you see what's going on.)**_

He was sitting in the top room of the temple, it was situated on the top of the tallest mountain in the area, the town around it was beautiful, however he had only seen it during festivals now, and only with armed guards.

_"For hundreds of years they have trained people in these 'mysterious arts' to be ninja."_

Ryu sprinted down the dirt road with Hayate, Ayane and Yuki on his heels. Yuki was in the back as they ran; none of the animals seemed to mind them and not even the leaves stirred in their presence.

"_These two villages are sworn enemies."_

Four ninja ran through a more barren part of the forest. Leading them was a blonde woman with short hair. The two in the middle were both older, one was bald and the other had long white hair, bringing up the rear was a young man with short dirty blond hair.

_"Hundreds of years ago, to avoid a war that would destroy the land the first Shogun called the best ninja from each village and made them fight declaring the stronger village."_

Ryu stopped running and the others behind him did as well, they looked up the steep mountain to the building on top which looked like a temple. The girls looked to each other with a smirk and Hayate stepped forward and put his hand on Ryu's shoulder. With a curt nod all four ninja jumped up.

_"He set up land barriers between them and brought tranquility to the land after years of unease." _

The other four ninja, from the other tribe, the Koga from Tsube started running up the other side of the mountain; it was longer and less steep, looking more like a road than a mountain. The girls were now in front as the two men brought up the rear.

_"My father, the Shogun before me, did the same twenty-two years ago and was able to, once again, bring peace to the land."_

Hayate and Ryu landed crouched on the mountain top at the same time, with Ayane and Yuki appearing next to them a second later. They stood and walked forward together in perfect unison and in silence. In front of them were three men, one in blue, one in red and one in green representing water, fire and Earth respectively.

_"But these __Shinobi__, left to their own devices..."_

The girls stopped running first and the men stopped as soon as they past them. In front of them stood three men, one was in white, one in brown and one in orange, their village's colors for sea, stone and warmth.

_"...will cause war again, it is all they know and crave. It is all they know."_

The three turned, walking inside the temple and Hayate nodded curtly again; motioning for his ninja to follow him. Ayane secretly rolled her eyes, where else would they go?

_"I must stop them."_

The Shogun looked up with coldness in his eyes as he stood swiftly, the fire went out behind him and he turned, his yukata gently flowing despite his harsh movements. He exited the room fully prepared to fulfill his duty.

--

Kasumi tied her hair up in the black ribbon she had as she watched the sun rising. It had been a while since she was able to watch it, she had been able to watch the sunset before but she had always liked the sunrise more, it was a promise, the promise of a new day, and now it was the promise of a new life, her new life. She felt for her small katana and frowned as she remembered it wasn't there, Ryu had it.

She had always kept it with her, it was a gift from her father, he bought it meaning to give it to her at the age of seven, when she would officially start her ninja training, though he died during the last visit to the Shogun her mother kept the katana and had given it to her when she started her training.

She had kept it hidden until she felt she was skilled enough to wield it and hadn't taken it off her persona since. She looked at the fully risen sun and put her hands on her hips. An image of Ryu flashed in her mind.

He had her katana, but she wasn't worried, she knew he'd keep it safe until she took it back. That meant she'd have to face him. She remembered when Sereo had taken the two of them to "_**her body**_". Hayate was please but Ryu seemed guarded.

She pursed her lips in thought, he had called Hayate _Sama_, and sarcastically at that, Ryu never referred to Hayate as Sama and never used sarcasm, it was two first for him, at least to her. He had wanted to keep her katana and had always helped her out. Her mother was right, she should at least see Ryu and talk to him, it would make her life a lot easier, she hoped.

She looked around the clearing as she drew a kunai and spun it on her middle finger before catching it in her hands by the hilt, she'd better practice. She had a lot of work ahead of her, and it wouldn't do to let up on her training and lose all her skill now, not when she was so close.

Everything she had been working for for years was finally within her reach, or at least that was what she wanted to believe, she firmly wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe it would all be over soon, that she could walk into her home and see her Okaasan and her Oniichan again. That they would all be a happy family again, and she'd make sure Ayane was included this time around.

She didn't have any delusions though, this would be hard, it would be one of her toughest battles, and she would be alone in this. Still she refused to give up; she always refused to give up.

She moved in the air and on the ground with the grace of the wind gently flowing by. She was dancing to the song that had only played in her mind, it was in harmony with nature, the birds' high pitched song being the alto and the low sounds of the river being the soprano, and together they were able to create the harmony that she danced to.

By the way she wielded it; her kunai became a katana, a long beautiful blade instead of just a throwing knife. It cut through the air and was Kasumi's partner in this dance, this work of art.

The art of the ninja.

It was a deadly dance, and it was beautiful.

--

"I wish to welcome you to the village of Kita Santi; I am the Shogun and if you should need anything during your stay, let me know"

He had practiced this speech many times before but still felt nervous in front of these eight ninja/shinobi, he really didn't know the difference, all he knew was that any of these people, even the aged man before him could take him out in mere seconds.

He also knew that in this crowd was the Female Tengu, the second strongest Kunochi, with the strongest being a nukenin, whatever that was. There was also the 'Super Ninja,' that title meant nothing to him until he found out that it meant he was the strongest man in the world.

He stood on a wood platform that stood five feet above where the eight ninja sat, still as the Earth and stone below their feet. They listened half heartedly as they tried to size up their soon to be enemies next to them.

The Tsube ninjas tried to prove the theories and legends untrue, to find a flaw in Hayate, of the Female Tengu, of the Super Ninja.

Ryu sat so still he could've been a statue as he listened to the Shogun speak, the aura of indifference about him made him seem more intimidating than all of the rumors and legends did. The Dragon sword strapped to his back spoke wonders though he did not utter a sound.

"There will be a celebration for the years of peace we have had for years tonight, I hope you can all join us in our festival."

He was so happy to have gotten that first speech over and done with and by the way they all looked at him he was able to tell the Super Ninja apart from the rest of them, he hadn't taken his eyes off of him during the entire speech, he hadn't moved a muscle and it didn't seem as if he blinked during the entire time he was talking. He scared him the most. He was the Super Ninja.

Ryu stood first, as soon as the Shogun turned and walked straight out of the temple, he could feel the gazes on his back and realized, even here, with the best ninja in the world, he was looked at like he was some sort of god, never mind the monster he was. Hayate and Ayane stood next and Yuki hesitantly followed behind them.

"I don't have a yukata with me" Yuki complained as she crossed her arms leaning on the wall of the room she shared with Ayane who rolled her eyes.

"Neither do I, I am going like this, it's not like they can make us leave or anything."

Ayane smirked.

"They _invited _us"

--

Ryu walked down the street seeing Hayate coerce a young girl into spending the night with him and Yuki trying to catch a fish using the thin plates. He stopped as he felt her presence; it was soothing, but not a soothing as another.

"Ryu kun, enjoy yourself, it is a festival" He turned to the purple haired nin and crossed his arms,  
"It is a distraction, Hayate seems to be having enough fun, therefore I must remain alert"  
"Let yourself be distracted…"

She paused as if considering her next words very carefully.

"…from everything"

Ryu caught the hidden meaning in her words, she was trying to be discreet but it didn't work, not for him

_Let yourself be distracted, from her..._

Ayane sensed his obvious discomfort and pulled him into a booth giving him a small paddle, he could hear the mocking tone in her voice wanting a competition with him, even if it was just to "distract" him.

He shouldn't need distracting, he should've let her go already, he shouldn't have her katana he shouldn't-

"Try to catch a fish before I can"

**Flashback**

_"Ryu! Come try this" Ryu found himself dragged to a stand by none other than Kasumi  
"Oh look at the happy couple"  
"We're just friends obaachan," Kasumi teased playfully and Ryu looked at the other people playing the pointless game._

_"But I wanna try this" Kasumi said as the woman handed her two paddles with a knowing smirk on her face._

_Ryu looked down into the water and looked at the paddle as Kasumi cooed her caught fish._

_"Do you know how to do it?"  
"No, it is of no use though, I could use-"  
"You're taking the fun out of it Ryu"_

**End Flashback**

Ryu looked down and smiled, though the small smile was hidden by his mask, as he lifted his paddle up from the water slowly with a small fish on it. Ayane's eyes widened as she pulled hers up and the cheap net of hers broke. He put the fish back in the water and watched it as it started to swim away.

"Let's go Ayane" She followed him out and pouted.  
"Is there anything you're not good at?"  
Ryu laughed and Ayane was content to just walk next to him as they past by people as they stared.

_**"No! Kyaa!"**_

Ryu stopped and spun easily picking the falling girl up and holding her in his arms, he didn't know why he did it but the girl looked into his eyes and smiled. Her eyes were the same doe color as her. The color was common but it still made Ryu feel uneasy. The three boys chasing her seen Ryu and ran the other way. Apparently they knew who he was.

"I knew you would save me" Ryu set her down and Ayane raised an eyebrow. She had long brown hair tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon and she had on a blue yukata.  
"How?"  
"I just did."

"Kasumi get back here" The girl looked up to her mother.  
"Okaasan" the mother hugged her daughter and turned to them.

"Thank you, she's such a troublemaker always running and hiding from everyone else"  
"It's her name" Ayane responded with a laugh and the woman frowned  
"Kasumi" Ryu said and she smiled looking down at her daughter.  
"I named her after the Kunochi of Destiny"

"Don't always depend on someone to help you" Ryu said looking down into her innocent eyes. They were too alike, he turned and Ayane put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically and the woman bowed to their backs well aware of the fact that they could tell she did even if the couldn't see her.  
"Thank you Ryu san and Ayane san"  
"Thanks Ryu!" The little girl yelled as they walked away and Ayane smiled sadly

"What a coincidence" Ryu kept walking  
"Too soon" he whispered but she heard him and agreed

It was too soon for reminders.

--

When Ryu and Ayane returned to their rooms they saw two different things. Ryu had a note from Hayate saying to expect him in the morning and to get a good rest. Ayane found Yuki sleeping on her mats snoring.

--

Ayane looked over to the four ninja sitting next to her team.

One was young, definitely their leader, she was about 5'6" and had light blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders that was held in a ribbon, she had sky blue eyes and the same firm but delicate build as herself and Yuki.

One was old, though he was not to be taken lightly, he was bald and about her height, which was 5'2". He had blue eyes that were faded; it wouldn't surprise her if he was blind.

There was another elder on their team, she had long silver hair, it would be gray but it shined to Ayane, and therefore was silver in her eyes. She was tall, standing at 5'7" and her pale blue green eyes took in the scene before her with caution.

The fourth was a young man, possibly in his teens; he towered over Ryu making him easily over six feet. He seemed too tall to be a ninja but looks could always be deceiving, Ayane knew that better than most people would. He had tanned skin and the same dirty blond hair as the first. His eyes were brown and he had the same build as Hayate, firm and muscular, but not as built as Ryu. Now that Ayane though about it, no one was as built as Ryu.

"I hope you all enjoyed the festival yesterday"

The Shogun started another one of his speeches and Ayane wondered just who listened, aside from Ryu, to the lies coming out of his mouth. He didn't hope they enjoyed the festival because he knew they couldn't, if the did they would be left weaker, without proper sleep. Little did he know that Ninja were smarter than that, well most of them were.

Ayane's eyes traveled to her half brother, Ryu told her that he had come in late reeking of women and sex. Ayane was appalled by him and his actions but she knew that she could not show it here, he was still their leader, and they had to show the Shogun just how powerful they were. They had to show everyone just how powerful their village was.

"Now, we have a more pressing matter to attend to."

Hayate looked to the Shogun and listened to his words half heartedly, he knew Ryu would have memorized everything he said and more because of the way he was trained. He had often envied Ryu and the way he had always been stronger, now that he was the leader of the village, a title he felt that he had rightfully disserved, he was able to "use" Ryu, as much as Ryu would allow him too.

Yuki wondered what was in store for them; usually it was a test of sorts then a battle between the groups. She had researched these gatherings of sorts when she learned the truth of her father's death. Her father had been killed along with Hayate's father during the last visit to the Shogun when the other village was crowned the stronger of the two, now she would fight and die to make sure that the Hajimon was declared stronger, like her father would've wanted. She narrowed her eyes.

She would bring honor back to her family.

Ryu listened intently to the Shogun speak while taking in his surroundings. There were six people in the room that were silently standing against the walls. There were three people in corresponding colors for Water Fire and Earth for their village by the right wall and three in white brown and orange, most likely for the other village's sea stone and warmth against the left wall.

The Shogun was nervous.

Ryu could tell because he spoke with the occasional twitching of his hands and the tone of his voice, it was lower yesterday. He also shook his head slightly with the finishing of every part of his rehearsed speech.

His hair moved like ripples in the water when he shook his head. None of the people here cut their hair, he noticed between yesterday and today, there was not a single person with short hair in the village.

The eight ninja sat in the Chokaku patiently waiting for the Shogun to stop the facade and tell them why he really called them here, it was war, they were to fight and they were all anxious.

"Now the main reason I brought you here..."

Ryu's face was still carefully blank, Hayate smiled in anticipation, Yuki frowned nervously and Ayane smirked awaiting the challenge.

**Chapter End**

**TDS:** Yay next chapter, so just so you know I voted for Jeanine on SYTYCD, I'm so happy she won and I'm sorry I can't see her dance anymore, though my fav guy was Jason, girl was Jannette and couple was Ade and Melissa.

Triple R!


	7. Chokaku

**TheDarkestShinobi: **Chapter 7: Read and Review people, and check out my other stories!!! P.s. my muse has died, I barely got to finish this and idk if you can tell but the end was a little rushed, I'll fix it when I put up chapter eight, so until then ja!

I'm not rich or Japanese

These characters don't do as I please

And the only reason for that would be

That they don't belong to me!

**Chapter start**

_Now the main reason I brought you here..."_

_Ryu's face was still carefully blank, Hayate smiled in anticipation, Yuki frowned nervously and Ayane smirked awaiting the challenge._

"...I, in my infinite wisdom, have noticed that there is a growing tension between your two tribes. I also know of the violent nature of your lifestyles and the dangers that it possesses for my village as well as yours if the tension escalades into action. I wish to help prevent a fight, an unnecessary fight"

Ayane's mocking smile stayed on her face as she listened carefully to the words of the _ever wise Shogun sama._ He wasn't trying to prevent a fight; he was calling for a war. The Shogun never asked for peace, he always wanted to keep the best nin in the cemetery so that no one would hurt him or overthrow him. Little did he know that the only thing protecting him was a ninja's honor, if that was stripped from someone who wanted him gone, then he would be dead.

This Shogun was, by far, the worst; he was depressed and did not get much done. And what he did to was never vital to the villages' survival, or even helpful. The only one holding things together was the Nirou, his younger brother, who would be the Shogun if his older brother died without a son to 'take the throne.' The people didn't seem like they liked him either, but they were honor bound to obey him, and honor was the strongest force to bind a ninja, or any person who still lived and believed in Feudal Japan. As long as a person had and valued their honor as well as their family's then they would obey the Shogun. A person's sense of honor was strength as well as a weakness.

Ayane continued to process her newfound information and wondered just what would happen now.

Ryu knew most of what would happen now, the only missing parts coming from his lack of experience with the Shogun and this type of war. The Shogun was calling for this war, a war called by the Shogun was different than that of war in the traditional western sense. The best warriors are chosen from each village and they fight for the success of their village and honor of their family. When only one village's members are alive, they claim victory for their village and the war is over.

The other version, called total war, was banned by a Shogun long ago. It was a type of war where everybody from one village would be against everyone from another village, there could be an alliance system and the death toll was always catastrophic, in order to stop it, the first Shogun had signed a blood contract with the three leaders meaning that if it was broken the village that broke it was dishonored and the other two would attack it. Only the Hayabusa village no longer existed and the blood pact had lost its value, but every ninja felt honor bound to uphold it. Honor bound a ninja like nothing else ever could, stronger than even the bonds between family and friends, as proven by Hayate and _his sister._

Why did it still hurt him to think of her?

"There is no need for a pointless slaughter, therefore one person from each village will now fight to prove their village's strength, if either village proves itself to be too weak then I will call the war in favor of the other."

--

Sereo rolled up the scroll and put it back on its normal spot on the bottom shelf, he sat back down in his spot next to the wall. He sat seiza style and turned his attention back to the scroll he was writing. He reread what he had written and nodded to himself, it was enough information for today. He sipped his tea as he waiting for the ink to dry.

The Shogun would no doubt have them fight today to prove their strength to him, and tomorrow would send them home, most likely with news of war and the ban being lifted. Sereo sighed, he would have to be sure Kasumi knew all that she could before he sent her on her mission to kill the Shogun, one wrong move, one thing that she didn't know could mean her death and Sereo wasn't going to let another sister die because of him, especially not after meeting with _him._

**Flashback**

_"Kolona sama!"_

_Sereo stopped short and turned quickly towards the man sitting on a tree stump. The man was wearing a tight red shirt and had on tight black pants that hugged his muscular legs. He was wearing black boots and had a sash tied to his left bicep, he was looking away even as he heard Sereo speak his name. He looked down and the wind blew his unruly hair back. Sereo just stood in awe, looking at him in disbelief, could this really be Kolona?_

_Kolona looked to Sereo and stood, he was 6'2 and had tan skin, it was built and in perfect physical condition, he had brown curly hair and piercing brown eyes. He did not appear to be aged but held the grace of an elder. Kolona crossed his arms and watched as Sereo stumbled forward and bowed to him as quickly as possible, almost causing the other to laugh._

"_It is really you"_

"_Hai, Sereo"_

"_You have appeared to me, for what reason Kolona sama" Kolona nodded_

"_I have, and the reason is Kasumi, she is the one you have been sent to kill, but I have a different mission for you instead"_

"_Hai"_

_Sereo immediately felt to one knee with his hand on the floor in a fist in front of him. He looked down at the floor respectfully as the wind blew by once again._

**End Flashback**

--

"And now, the Shogun will test your abilities, first is the Tsube, your warrior may use one weapon and one weapon only"

The leader of the other village looked up into the eyes of the Shogun, her gaze only showing her confidence, while the Shogun had to fight to keep his breathing even. She had blonde hair that fell to her shoulders and ice cold blue eyes. When she stood it was at 5'6" and confidently but as of now she sat unmoving in front of her fellow nin. The Chokaku was silent except from the audible breathing coming from the Shogun, his guards and the six against the wall. Suddenly her head snapped up so that it looked like she was looking down upon the Shogun.

Ryu seen her out of the corner of his eye, he recognized her from a visit to the Tsube. His sensei had taken him to see her when he was informed about political policies, they befriended each other and he remembered that she liked the color blue and that she liked sunflowers, he remembered thinking she would be a weak leader. Now she seemed to be proving him wrong. Her name was Senshi Haruka, she had a younger brother and a crush on him. He smirked as he remembered his sensei telling him about it, he was so naive when he was a child.

"Gobei"

Her voice came out crystal clear and assertive making the Shogun slightly jump in his seat startled, something only the ninjas would notice, and they all did. Ryu noted that her tone was harsher and slightly lower than he remembered, but it had been more than fifteen years.

Swiftly and soundlessly the eldest in the group stood up, he was bald and stood at a 5'2" which was the same height as both Ayane and Kasumi, his eyebrows and beard were white and his pale blue eyes told of wisdom, his face had very few wrinkles and his body was still defined in his old age. He was in a green and black kimono type outfit, similar to the white and blue one that Hayate wore. A black sash was wrapped around his midsection and a three sectional was tucked into it in the middle of it along his back. He stood up but he was hunched over.

The Shogun watched as the man took a few steps forward so that he was away from the rest of the still unmoving ninja. The Shogun found it unnerving how long they could sit without moving. He took a deep breath and stood slightly hunched. The Shogun suddenly smirked confidently; surely this man was both old and senile. He lifted up his right hand and signaled for the men to come forward. In a few seconds Gobei was surrounded by twenty of the best warriors of Kita Santi.

Gobei simply lifted his hands up and held his arms slightly in front of him, his wrist were bent and his hands hung limply, he bent his knees and stood in his tiger stance. There were twenty people that surrounded him and they all had on black kimono type outfits, they held different weapons, some had short swords and some wielded bamboo sticks. They were all young; none of them looked like they were older than their mid twenties. Gobei, unfazed at their appearance, simply settled deeper into his stance and it was silent once more.

"Hajime!" The Shogun yelled and still none of them moved, but the command was given. Gobei snapped his hands up so that his palms faced his enemies and he narrowed his eyes.

The Shogun's hands twitched before he looked over to the seven other nin, six of which were watching the fight. Ryu had his eyes closed; they snapped open a split second before the cry was heard.

"Ya!"

A shadow moved towards Gobei and he side stepped the man and the sword, he reached out his hand and thrust it into the man's chest. He caught the fabric of his shirt the way an animal's paw would and pulled back to the painful cry of the younger. He let the black fabric fall to the floor and looked to the young man who had five dark red spots on the part of his now bare chest where Gobei's fingers had met his chest. Blood trickled out the side of his mouth and he fell to ground with a soft yet audible thump. Gobei simply stepped back and brought his arms in front of him.

The Shogun gasped lightly but both Ryu and Haruka heard it, Haruka smirked and Ryu dismissed it choosing to pay attention to Gobei's fighting style, that, he felt, would be worth more in the near future. He knew this Shogun was inexperienced, and unconfident, and most importantly weak. Gobei, however, he knew almost nothing about.

All at once the nineteen remaining rushed at him, he leaned forward and dodged a sword strike striking another in the throat with his left hand. The man's eyes glazed over as he stood there, his body was stiff and lifeless but without any force it simply stood there. Another was kicked in the chest and flew to the side coughing as his katana flew into the wall next to the man in white representing sea and whose skin paled as he looked at the blade.

Gobei then thrust both his hands forward and hit another in the chest and sent him flying before spinning and pulling out his three sectional. He held both ends in both hands and managed to stop four attacks. He then quickly moved his hands to both ends of the center piece and pushed forward hitting the man in the neck, he then kicked him with his right leg before spinning to block another attack.

Hayabusa watched as Gobei worked his way through the test, his tiger style was flawless and his three sectional skills were impressive. The tiger style was meant for taller stronger people and normally someone so small would not be able to utilize it in such a way, but it wouldn't be in his best interest to underestimate an opponent, it was a mistake one could pay for with his life.

Gobei had taken out the majority of the people when he lost his three sectional, it skidded and landed right next to Ayane, who eyed the weapon nonchalantly before turning her full attention back to the fight.

Gobei lifted his foot to block a kick and deflected a punch with his hand, still in the claw form. He thrust his arm forward but it was caught by another so using momentum, he spun and used a spinning back kick to send him away. The other jumped back gripping his bow tighter.

Gobei then crouched low, his palms were facing upwards and his fingers were relaxed. Both knees were bent with his left being slightly forward, his right hand was in front of the top of his stomach and the left was in front of his right, slightly higher to protect his neck and face.

"Come at me"

His voice was gentle, with an underlying tone of power. The men simply shifted into their stances and looked to each other. There were only three left, and the man from before still stood.

One moved fast, even for ninja standards, and swept his foot lowly across the floor catching Gobei off guard. Gobei fell backwards and landed on his hands, bending his elbows he launched himself into another person catching him with a double kick before quickly bending at the waist bringing his arms forward. His hands pushed back and dislocated both of the other man's shoulders and the man fell back due to the force, Gobei jumped off and brought up his foot to kick another's shoulders, the person ducked and Gobei spun all the way around, spinning once again for a 720 he ducked lowly and swept the other's feet. The man fell and Gobei jumped on him, landing the final strike to his neck. Gobei then jumped off and turned as he landed facing the last man.

The man shifted and placed his bow on the ground before rolling it away and falling into his own tiger stance and smirking. Gobei pushed his arms forward slightly as he cautiously stepped forward.

"This should be good"  
"I'm not getting any younger"

The Shogun tried and failed to hide his shock, the little _senile_ old man took out twenty of his guards, well nineteen so far. His hands gripped the end of the armrest tightly as he shook. He looked over to the other seven to see them watching the standoff unfazed. He was the most unnerved at the man that was still standing, he was so still and most likely dead, but he didn't fall like the rest. He looked over to the three against the right wall and then the left. He seen the pale skin of the one in the white, he was shaking and the Shogun felt bad for him, the sword was mere inches from his neck.

Gobei and the other stood in mirrored stances as they sized each other up, then they both slowly moved to their right in a circle.

"You, you practice the tiger" the man smirked  
"Don't let my age fool you, I am a master at this"

He took two quick steps and lunged for Gobei's throat, but Gobei simply moved his head and pushed the hand away with the back of his hand. Gobei then went to strike his throat when the man ducked and then thrust his hand up to Gobei's chest. Gobei leaned back and to the side to avoid it before spinning around bringing his hands within striking range.

The man grunted before bringing up his leg to kick Gobei in the side of the face. Gobei shifted his eyes and seen the foot drawing closer, and closer.

The Shogun shut his eyes and winced hearing the loud sound that the impact had. The Shogun slowly opened his eyes after not hearing anything, only to have them open wide in shock.

Gobei's hand was right next to his face, his hand was not in a fist but his fingers naturally curled. The foot was stopped on the other side of the hand and Gobei was smirking, while the other had narrowed his eyes.

"A master you say?" Gobei's other arm came forward to jam into his knee and break it and the man grunted before twisting, when Gobei's hand hit it hit the back of his knee and just bent it. The man jumped up to kick him again with his foot still against the other's hand. His foot was coming towards the other side of Gobei' head.

Gobei leaned back and did a no hand back flip catching the other in the chin with both feet. As he landed the other fell and landed on his back, the impact winded him and Gobei quickly ran forward and thrust his hand towards the man's neck going on one knee, only to stop an inch away.

"I yield old man"

Gobei stood up and the man sat up, still panting  
"You are skilled for your age, get better, and challenge me again" Gobei offered his hand to help him up but he shook his head,  
"Let me keep this last shred of my dignity"

He stood and bowed to Gobei, who in turn bowed back  
"I am Hizo Jinochi"  
"Majidani Gobei"

Hayate watched as the court was quickly cleaned as the two men spoke quickly, he looked to the woman leader out of the corner of his eye and almost scoffed. What a weak village, to be led by a woman. The Mugen Tenshin had never and would never be ruled by a woman; they were just not equal creatures to men. After his father died, his mother could not lead the village, and even then Kasumi would've been given control of the village, that would have been destructive for the village. It was very fortunate that he had healed from his defeat to Raidou, Hayate felt that the fight was close and that he could've won if Ayane had not moved into his way to attack her father.

(Yeah right! Raidou pwnage)

Even Raidou had known that Ayane put up more of a fight that he did, but he ultimately lost the battle and his life to the Kunochi of Destiny, who had killed him with no mercy.

Hayate knew that even Ayane, the outcast of their village could take out the men with more ease than Gobei could.

After a few seconds of silence the shogun cleared his throat before speaking

"Now is the Hajinmon, once again, as the Tsube before you, your warrior may only use one weapon in this test"

Silence followed his command as the people in the Chokaku looked at Hayate in anticipation, would his warrior put on as much of a show as the Tsube warrior, or would they fall to the Shogun's men. Ryu took in the fleeting emotions on the Shogun's face and thought more to himself as he sat still in the seiza position.

The silence was interrupted by Hayate, he lifted his chin up slightly and curtly nodded never taking his eyes off of the Shogun's.

"Ayane"

Ayane stood quickly, silently and gracefully with Gobei's three sectional held in her long slender fingers, she was in her normal purple attire. She had her purple headband on and her dark purple outfit, it had darker purple seams and no sleeves, she also had on her fishnet arm wear. Ayane pulled the weapon up in her arm and held it out with a smirk. Gobei eyed his weapon as he moved his left hand to the right side of his body. Ayane lifted her arm and threw the weapon.

Yuki watched Ayane throw the weapon to Gobei, Hayate and Ryu were simply facing forward. Gobei caught it effortlessly with his left hand in a sweeping motion as she slowly walked forward to the center of the Chokaku. Yuki bit her lip as Ayane stopped walking and crossed her arms, her hip naturally leaning towards the left, in the direction she would start to spin in.

The Shogun watched her carefully, he knew that women were essentially as powerful as men, especially when it came to ninjas, but it was hard to believe it. Her hair was cut short and he wondered if she preferred it that way or her life required short hair, he couldn't see any weapon on her, she had no bow, nun chucks or sword. He couldn't seem to understand the ninja world, even though he had been reading about it for years in his study.

Once again he wondered why the leader had chosen her and not the man sitting to his side, he radiated power that even the Shogun could sense. Could she possibly be stronger than the masked man, or was his point to show off the fact that she could do this without being the strongest?

She looked up to him and he took a gulp looking into those cold eyes, he stared into them for what felt like hours and for his life he couldn't tell you what color they were.

He raised his right hand mechanically and twenty more men filled the Chokaku. Ayane eyed them while seeming to keep eye contact with the Shogun. He was so scared and felt completely immobilized. He was wondering what was really protecting him from her at this moment.

"Begin!" He said louder and higher than necessary and once again there was absolute silence in the Chokaku. Ayane turned her attention back to the men surrounding her. Her fingers were gently strumming against her biceps.

She eyed each one and their weapon carefully as she waited for the first to make their move. Ayane closed her eyes, removed her hands from across her chest, and settled into her stance, yet no one else moved.

Maybe they hadn't heard him speak. The Shogun shifted slightly and was about to yell out the command again when the female ninja opened her eyes stepped to the left catching a punch.

"Is that it?" She taunted as she turned her body and slammed him onto the floor. She then jumped up doing a double tuck before landing on him shouting 'ei kay' he stayed down and she stepped off of him. She jumped up as three more rushed her and kicked one in the chin, he grunted but did not fall.

She landed and started spinning; she then punched the man next to her twice before stopping and kicking him in the side of the head. He flew into the wall and slumped against it, unconscious. She smirked slightly and knew that the rest of the ninjas had only seen a purple blur, and the Shogun and his men would not even see that. She looked over her shoulder to see the rest of them.

She then turned so her opponent was behind her and then kept spinning so that she was face to face, she struck him and then spun again, she hit him twice more with her hand then jumped up and double kicked him.

The Shogun felt himself getting dizzy just watching her spin around, and he silently winced every time a limb shot out and hit somebody. Thanks to the last two fighters left before he learned that Gobei's style was the tiger, but he couldn't imagine what style involved spinning around so much, and how anyone could practice it without constantly puking from dizziness and headaches. At times she spun so fast he could only see a thin purple blur.

The Shogun watched as she attacked and defended in awe, Gobei seemed skilled, but she seemed unreal. He had never seen anything like this and he probably never would again, it made him feel weak and unworthy. He didn't want his job, but he knew that he was worthy of it, he knew he was the only one worthy of it. He didn't like how little she made him felt without even trying.

Hayate smirked slightly as Ayane kicked off of one man and landed across from everyone on the opposite side of the Chokaku. Ayane pulled out her weapon and held it in front of her horizontally, it was about a foot in length and she held onto a handle in the middle.

The Shogun narrowed his eyes, what weapon was that? He had studied books upon books of weapons and he couldn't recognize it. He then took a deep breath and calmly sat back in his seat, he needed to appear all wise. He needed to be all powerful, he needed to be calm.

Ayane closed her eyes slowly as the others settled into position. They were going to try and rush at her, they should know that it wouldn't work. She was back _there _again, in her memories, her past never seemed to leave her. No matter how skilled she proved herself as a ninja, she could never let him go, it was a weakness, but she could never forget her father, she could not leave him behind.

She moved the weapon out towards them.

**(Flashback)**

_"Ayane" Ayane jumped out of the tree and landed in front of her surrogate father who reached down and ruffled her hair._

_She sat down on a tree stump and he handed her a cooked fish. She blew on it gently before taking a bite; she crossed her legs before uncrossing them as he sat down next to her. She looked up at him and he took a bite out of his own fish before sighing and turning to her._

_"Ayane, do you remember everything that I taught you"_

_Ayane nodded as she sat straighter and looked down to her food, she knew better than to say or do otherwise. She had turned seven last year and had begun her formal training then, every ninja had trained in different ways since birth but official training began on the seventh birthday by a sensei that was picked beforehand and most likely, had started to train them before. She was eight now, and even more was expected from her. A ninja was not allowed to forget anything that they had been taught, that would be ignorant, and ignorance was a sign of weakness._

_Ayane took another bite of fish as he continued._

_  
"You know all about ninja's deaths"_

_Ayane nodded, it was her favorite part, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, with the exception of traitors and enemies they all were the same when they died, they all were treated equally in death, in death it wouldn't matter that she didn't have any parents. She looked up at his face, it had a sad smile on it._

_"I am going to die soon"_

_Ayane blinked in shock and dropped her fish. She quickly sat up and stood in front of her father with her hands on his knees and her face close to his looking into his eyes, looking for lies._

_"What? Why?" he shook his head slowly and she moved back, her eyes widening slightly.  
"Because I am sick, my illness can not be cured"_

_She had never thought of her father dying, he was not her real father but she had always treated him as if he was, and he had always treated her as his daughter. Ayane was born from the same mother as Kasumi and Hayate, Ayame, but not the same father, her mother was raped by Raidou, which was Ayame's brother in law. As a result of this she was shunned by her village, the only ones who had treated her with respect were Kasumi, and Ayame. One of which she hated, one she loved back but was immensely jealous of, and that envy would soon turn to hatred._

_She stepped back looking down, this couldn't be true, it had to be a lie. She stopped after the fourth step and looked back to her father scrutinizing him the way she was taught to do to an adversary to figure out their strengths and weaknesses and if they could take the other in a fight. His breathing came irregularly and more labored than it had been only a year ago, his hair was thinner and grayer and his eyes were not as sharp. His arms were thinner and not nearly as muscular, the same went for his now scrawny legs. Ayane looked down, he was weak, and he was growing weaker; he was going to die soon. It was not a lie._

_Ayane gave her father a hug and swore to herself to study even harder, train even longer, be even better, to be the best and have the ability to protect her father from everything._

--

_Ayane jumped down and landed in front of her father, it had been eight years since she had found out he was going to die and had sworn to protect him, now, she looked to him with a hardened stare, now she was going to have to kill him. _

_Ayane watched as this monster that once was her father drew his weapon and settled into his stance in front of her, she simply tilted her head slightly as he settled and let the weapon extend and glow purple. She closed her eyes and settled into her own stance,_

"_Gomen nasaii Otosan" she opened her eyes and ran towards her father, she had to kill him, they was no choice in the matter, besides, the man that stood before her was not her father. That was a monster that DOATEC had created from his body when he went to them for help, it was a monstrosity, she had to convince herself that the monster was not her father._

_--_

_Ayane held the weapon in front of her respectfully, her father had been slain by his only daughter and now was burning into ash. She did not think of the battle just now but of the old man that had taken care of her and helped her to be the person she was today, the ninja she was today. He helped her become the strongest Kunochi in the world; the only stronger one had disgraced her clan by betraying it. Ayane moved the weapon as the fire grew and she looked into it._

_Everyone was treated the same in death, their sins were forgotten and their lives were celebrated. She refused to remember her father as the monster she had just fought, but as the man that was her father._

_Ayane looked into the fire and then blinked letting a single tear escape her eyes. She truly allowed herself to mourn her father and allowed herself to be weak for the first time since she was eight, she vowed to herself never to be that weak again._

_She had kept her vow._

**End Flashback**

Ayane opened her eyes and the weapon began to glow purple

_Father, please forgive me for my sin…_

It glowed brightly and with a sound like two swords clashing it grew until it was about six feet long.

_Please allow me to use the weapon which contains your strength…_

She brought her left hand back until it was at the right elbow bending it slightly.

_Please fight besides me and lend me your strength…_

She jumped up and appeared behind someone with the weapon held vertically, she was looking straight ahead, with her eyes set as hard as stone.

_Please…_

The man turned drawing his sword and the weapon was brought upwards slicing his skin, it did not cut through like a sword but cut the skin enough for a thin line of blood to follow it. He cried out in pain and dropped his sword. She turned and blocked multiple strikes with her weapon; she then spun it counter clockwise rapidly as she blocked attacks. All that was seen was purple and it looked like a shield surrounding her. She then stopped spinning and brought it down hard once to slice a weapon in half before striking the person in the shoulder with it.

The Shogun watched in horrified awe as Ayane fought and as warrior after warrior fell to her, essentially proving that not all men were stronger than all women. He suddenly felt jealous of her and her strength. She was a nobody from a hidden village, he was the Shogun, why should she be stronger than he was, it just didn't make any sense to him. He was supposed to be the strong one, the one that people feared and looked up to, he was the strong one not this woman. He watched apathetically and cursed her existence; he cursed all of their existences and hoped that they all died in the battle, the war that was surely to follow this, after all both villages were clearly proving that at least one of their members was strong.

Ayane then pocketed the weapon and jumped up onto a man's shoulder kicking him into the ground and knocking him unconscious. She then hit a pressure point on the neck of another and rendered him immobile. She jumped up and grabbed the last man with her thigh as she wrapped one leg around his neck; she then flung him across the room and he slumped against the wall unconscious.

Ayane landed crouched with her fist in front of her towards the Shogun, her head was down as she looked to the floor respectively.

"It is done"

The Shogun looked down to her and then took in the scene before him with cautious eyes, there laid the twenty men in various poses each in a state of unconsciousness but she had defeated them all. He stood and walked down the stairs until he was on the same level as they were.

Ayane stayed looking down and he touched her shoulder with his hand, she was tempted to push him back and insult him, saying he was not allowed to touch her so familiarly but he was the Shogun, and he was allowed to touch her in such a way. Despite her lack of respect for him or his title she had to honor him.

"Leave now, but come back as soon as the sun sets today, for I will have my decision then, I expect you all to be here" The Shogun released Ayane's shoulder and watched as the seven behind her jumped up flipping and disappearing into thin air as they did so. Ayane then stood as he stepped back; she jumped backwards flipping and disappeared in front of his eyes.

The shogun blinked in shock before another came up to him. This man was tall and imposing. He stood at 6'4" and had long black hair that was not held back into a ponytail but fell over his shoulders loosely. His eyes were light brown compared to the dark brown of his brother and he simply put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Come, brother, we have much to discuss"

The shogun turned and nodded slightly.

"Hai"

**Chapter end**

**TDS: **More reviews equal more chapters!!


	8. War

**TheDarkestShinobi**: I feel so bad for making all of you guys wait for so long for this. And it's not even that good… T.T Anyway, Review please!!! I want to know you're favorite part, or you're least favorite part. And how are my OCs?

**Chapter Start**

Ryu stood on top of a tall pillar above Kita Santi, his arms across his chest as the wind blew by him. He felt almost as if the wind was enveloping him in a gentle embrace, a ghost of a once familiar embrace. He looked ahead to see the sun and below to see the people going on their way. Specifically his eyes caught a yellow ribbon. It was Kasumi. He followed her with his eyes until she turned to him as if she could sense him. She had a warm smile on her face as she was led by her mother. Ryu looked back to the sun to see that he had time before jumping off the pillar.

He landed as a cat would, on his feet and silently. He walked along the shadows with one goal in mind, Kasumi. Almost as if he could find some sort of inner peace by seeing the little girl. Her house was small and humble, but it felt like more of a home than his large abode in his village.

Ryu stood silently in the dark corner as the door slid open and she came running into the room. She had a box held to her chest and Ryu could tell it was an art box, it was used for drawing. She had pulled out a sheet of paper and laid it on the floor kneeling over to finish it. Ryu silently moved behind her to see what she was working on.

It was a perfect portrait of the two of them in that moment. She had drawn Kasumi and Ryu standing back to back, her tanto and his dragon sword drawn. It was perfect, and it brought back a memory. It looked like the picture came alive before his eyes. Ryu was sure that she had never seen them.

"I like this one" Ryu froze, did she see him? She stood and ran to a dresser against the wall. She pulled out a book from the highest shelf and put the picture in the beginning of the book.

"Dinner!" The girl ran out giggling and Ryu walked to the dresser pulling out the book. He felt like he needed to see those pictures. The second picture was one of Kita Santi but that's not what shocked him, it was the fact that it had him standing on the same point he was just on. The next one was of Kasumi, she was sitting on a tree branch near the Mugen Tenshin, and the next was one of Sereo and Kasumi. The next one was a picture of an unconscious and wounded Kasumi in his arms. This had happened a couple of times to them, but it unnerved him that the girl knew.

How did she know?

A paper fell out of the book but Ryu caught it. It was a picture of Kasumi in the Chokaku, she was sitting in Sieza only her head was on the ground in a begging plea. He studied this before putting it back where it was. He decided to check one more picture before he left and it was unfinished. It was of him, he was holding his sword offensively and hatred was clear in his eyes.

"That's my favorite, but I can't seem to finish it." Ryu turned quickly to see that Kasumi was peeking her head into her room, as if she was the intruder. She didn't ask why Ryu was there and he wasn't about to tell her. In fact, she had acted as if she knew he was there, or at least expected him to be.

"How did you draw these so accurately" Kasumi closed the door and the two took a step towards each other. She crossed her hands behind her back stepping closer to the ninja in front of her.

"My sensei was not allowed to train me, especially in the ninja arts, since no one is to know them, but he did." She responded not really answering the question. She sat in Seiza and Ryu sat down too placing the book in between them,

"Too much physical training would be apparent on my body and most ninpo would be impossible to train in secrecy"

"So what is your skill?"

"I don't really know" she confessed "I got inspired to draw one day after my sensei died and it was this one."

She opened the book to the middle and showed Ryu a picture of his village. His father was walking towards the frame.

"That's my father," Kasumi nodded looking solemn, looking too old for her age. It reminded Ryu of himself when he was younger. She was living a life similar to a ninja, but at the same time completely different. She put the picture down in its previous place before speaking.

"Hayabusa Ken, he's dead, when I found out I stopped drawing knowing it to me more than a mere coincidence, but now I just can't stop. I can feel a force compelling me to. I have to continue."

"How old are you?"

"11"

She closed the book. Ryu looked at her in silence just thinking. His thoughts were interrupted when she cleared her throat.

"It is nearly sunset, I know that there is somewhere you must be." Ryu nodded and got up. It wasn't wise to underestimate someone because of their age, even at the age of eleven. Ryu had killed at a young age, so she could definitely be skilled in her art at this age, whatever her art managed to be. He had turned to leave when he had felt her move, but he stopped when she spoke.

"Take this," She stood and took the yellow ribbon out of her hair. She held it out towards him. It had a red dragon design.

"It's for good fortune, the reuniting of loved ones." Ryu shook his head

"All of my loved ones are dead."

"It brought you to me," She walked towards him and put it in his hand, using her other hand to close his fingers around it.

"It will bring you to them."

Ryu clutched it in his hand, not believing her but respecting her enough to keep it and turned vanishing before her eyes. Kasumi simply looked down and picked up the book. She put the book down on top of her dresser before sitting down and looking up and to the side.

"One other thing; it's not a skill; it's a curse Ryu Hayabusa."

--

Ryu appeared in front of the entrance of the Chokaku as Yuki opened the doors for the group. No one seemed surprised by his sudden appearance as they continued to walk in silence to their destination. The Koga had walked in at the same time using the other entrance and within seconds all were seated and waiting for the Shogun and his news. Hayate and Haruka were both given a scroll by a young girl, who bowed to them before leaving.

The Shogun walked into the area with an aura of confidence and the Nirou followed. The Shogun stood in front of where he had been sitting before and looked over the ninja.

"Hayate of the Mugen Tenshin and Haruka of the Tsube I congratulate you in the training of your people." Hayate smirked as the Shogun spoke, Haruka did not show any reaction.

"I am greatly impressed with the demonstration of your arts. As Marshal of the land and therefore the ninja living on my land, I am proud. You have done well to represent the strength of your village."

Ayane knew that he was leading up to something akin to what Ryu had said, war. She noticed that everyone remained attentive to his words, unlike before when they were trying to gather information about their opponents.

"I wish that you now assist me in my quest to maintain peace. It is a very special task. If this cannot be done then I will have to lift the ban of total war between villages and I am sure chaos will ensue."

Not one of the ninja moved, the six against the wall shifted nervously and the Shogun cleared his throat. The Chokaku seemed much darker and more ominous since the last time that they were here because of the set sun. The ninja were not affected however, for ninja thrived in the dark and lived in the shadows. The Shogun voice cut through the silence.

"Record the names of your four best warriors on the scroll I have given you. Two days henceforth those warriors will do battle with you by their side. One side must win, and those remaining must climb back up the mountain to get here, and claim victory for their village."

"Fight! Die for the honor of your village!"

--

"Sereo I can see you."

"That's good, you should be on guard."

Kasumi jumped off of the tree branch flipping before she landed on both feet; she then spread them apart as Sereo walked towards her. He pulled out a scroll and handed it to the ninja in front of him. She took it and he looked around quickly, he knew that the darkness hid many things from sight and he did not wish to be surprised. The sun had set an hour ago and the creatures of the night were stirring, including the ninja.

"Tomorrow we will know for sure but I think that he will call for war, and because of recent events I will be asked to go."

"And you think I should shadow the group."

Sereo smirked and nodded. Kasumi knew that it wouldn't be easy to shadow them, Ayane was an assassin trained to detect extra presences, Hayate was the leader of the clan, and Ryu, well, he was the _Super Ninja_. Sereo obviously would know she was there. She then crossed her arms.

"Who else is going?"

"Hideki Yuki, daughter of Hideki Yukei, who died in the last war, she is a medical expert and is going to provide a defensive advantage."

"Makes sense, has she a child of her own?"

"No," it was silent for moment with the exception of the forest creatures.

"The Shogun,"

The aura changed as Kasumi uttered his name, it became colder as the night wind blew by, it seemed like the whole forest silenced, just listening to the Kunochi speak, speak of the dead. Kasumi stepped closer to Sereo who didn't move.

"All of the information is in the scroll, where he will be, what the _security_ is, and how to take him out."

"You did a little research."

"Never hurts to be prepared."

Kasumi wondered for a brief second about why she had to kill the Shogun, but the thought was fleeting. She was used to, as all Kunochi, doing missions without being given a reason, the less you knew, the less you could give away.

Sereo blinked and Kasumi was gone, he knew why, for not two seconds afterwards a ninja landed on the ground in front of him.

"Can't take a walk?" Sereo joked as the other stood from their crouched position. The other shook his head.

"Sorry, Sereo sama but Hayate Sama said no one is to leave the village" Sereo nodded as he ushered an apology. At the same time they both jumped up into the trees and started running towards the village. Sereo could only hope that Kasumi would be able to accomplish her mission.

--

Haru stood up slowly as the door opened. He turned to the intruder to see that it was just his sensei. He bowed in respect and turned towards the wall as his sensei closed the door and lit a few candles. In the newfound light one could see the deadly weapons hanging on the wall, weapons that were illegal in all of Kita Santi.

"Haru"

"Hai sensei"

His sensei stayed silent for a few seconds but Haru did not turn to him. They were a secret to everyone. Every Shogun had his secret guardian, as they liked to call themselves. When they felt that they would soon no longer be fit to serve they would choose and train an apprentice to take their place, which was about the same time that a new Shogun would rule. The guardian prevented assassinations, the few that there were, and most importantly stayed in the shadows. A shogun was not to know that they had a guardian until the guardian died in front of them protecting them.

The guardians practiced the art of the ninja. Ironically they practiced the forbidden arts and had forbidden weapons in order to make sure that they stayed forbidden. The guardians had no family, no friends, no "reason" to live, only the Shogun. In this way they would be completely loyal to him. They also had accepted the fact that they were the dead. Once someone had accepted the fact that they are the dead, they became unstoppable. Haru spoke breaking the silence.

"Sensei?"

"You are an excellent student and like me and my successor you will live to serve the Shogun"

"Hai," Haru walked towards the wall and gently ghosted his fingers along the weaponry. He briefly wondered why his sensei was repeating things he had told him day after day. Haru's only reason for existence was the Shogun.

"I have taught you everything that I know"

Haru was not his sensei's first pick in an apprentice, but had nevertheless proven himself to be a worthy choice. The master guardian worried that he might not have picked someone who would be able to protect the Shogun and be able to teach the next generation. He hoped he had not failed his Shogun by picking a bad successor. His entire doubt in Haru came from his senses. He had sensed something that he could not place, but he felt was not good and if he had not been so old he would have trained another, but as it was he was no longer fit to serve and he needed to pass his title on to Haru, for the Shogun's sake.

He could only hope. He knew that if Haru was not as perfect as he needed to be, the blood of this Shogun could be on his hands. The master turned to his student who was not looking at him, and made a mental note about his disrespect.

"I believe that the Shogun will soon have a use for you" The master knew that this statement meant I am giving you my title. Haru smirked as he stopped his hand grabbing an item.

"Then I have none for you."

Before the master could react the younger had thrown a Kunai into his throat. He was unable to scream as he died, the last thing he seen was the face of his student. No, of a traitor, he was worse than a shinobi.

--

Ryu had separated himself from the group when they had return into the village. Hayate had called for a large gathering and every man, woman and child was there, except for two.

Ryu walked through the forest surrounding the Mugen Tenshin letting the forest speak to him. He ran forward when he seen the man that had killed Kasumi.

"Hello Hayabusa san," Ryu narrowed his eyes and lowered himself into a fighting stance, Sereo had to focus on not showing any signs of fear. He simply turned and smirked trying to portray confidence.

"Now Hayabusa san, the Shogun must've called for war, and we all know that my name will be called as well as yours, so fighting now would not be the best course of action." Sereo smirked getting into character

"But you should've known that, yet you let your emotions run your life, heh, what would your sensei say. Well _Super Ninja_ I suggest we get back to the village."

He was right, Ryu told himself, his sensei would be disappointed in him.

"I wonder though, about why you chose to stay allied to us, if you felt that way about her, hm, well no matter."

Sereo took a step back and disappeared in a burst of flames leaving Ryu by himself in the middle of the forest. A cold and unforgiving wind enveloped him as he jumped up disappearing himself. The single green leaf he left behind was carried by the wind until it landed next to a pink petal.

Sereo appeared in the back of the crowd hidden in the shadows, none of the people minded his sudden intrusion but he could see a couple of heads moving slightly to acknowledge his presence.

"There has been an order given to the villages by the Shogun that we must abide by. We need to prove that we are the stronger of the two villages. We will be going to war and leaving with haste. Those whose name I call will accompany me in this."

Hayate pulled out a scroll and opened it dramatically.

"The first will be Hideki Yuki,"

Sereo could see her nod out of the corner of his eyes. She was wearing a yukata. Everyone aside from him, Hayate and very few others was formally dressed. Hayate then read out the next name. One that everyone knew would be involved.

"The second is Hayabusa Ryu,"

Ryu had not come but he was sure that he knew that he had been chosen and would be leaving with the group.

"In light of recent events, my third choice is Tademo Sereo,"

Everyone knew why he had been chosen. He had killed Kasumi, at least in theory; he knew she was hidden here somewhere, perhaps even somewhere in the crowd. Sereo felt himself nod with a smirk as a few eyes looked towards him to gauge him and his reaction to being chosen.

"And finally Ayane."

Ayane hated the way he said her name. Ayane did not think that he looked down upon her, or at least she hoped not, that he was just putting on an act for the rest of the villagers to see, but he had been very convincing. She looked of the crowd and seen Yuki and Sereo, she knew that Ryu would not be there and wondered where he was. It was easy to turn her half brother out since most of his words had held no meaning.

--

Kasumi crouched in perfect view, yet perfectly hidden as her brother spoke to the villagers. She had hated how he said Ayane's name and now realized that he was no longer the same man that once was her loved and respected brother. No, his power had corrupted him like it had their uncle and Ayane's father, Raidou. It was getting easier to slip on the mask that Sereo had helped her build and she let it slip into place now.

Her brother was weak.

Her eyes evaluated him the way they would an enemy, he had lost some of his once unbeatable skill. He had no longer appeared strong and powerful, but as one who had given in to power and had let it get the best of him. He was not as fit to run the clan as his father was. Kasumi's eyes softened as she seen Ayane and her mother, not together, but closer than they normally would've been.

She didn't notice when a figure appeared on the roof behind her.

Hayabusa froze in his tracks as he seen Kasumi crouched in front of him. He knew it was her. Her orange hair refused to stay hidden and the sweet scent of pine overloaded his senses. He took a step towards her and shook. His hand trembled as he reached out to her. She was so close.

Kasumi suddenly became aware of the fact that Ryu was behind her on the roof; she cursed her carelessness but did not move. What should she do? Hayate still spoke in the background ,neither of the ninja were paying attention to him.

To Ryu, Kasumi was crouched overlooking the village as if she was watching over it. She was dressed in a black outfit he had never seen her in. He thought that this was too good to be true, in realization he froze, his hand stopping, mere inches away from her. His mind producing a cruel scenario, what if this was fake?

Was his mind playing tricks on him?

"Kasumi?"

His voice came out much weaker than intended, it almost sounded like a plea. She did not respond, she did not move her head or make any sound of affirmation. She was desperately hoping he would just forget about her, or think that he was just imagining things but she knew better. Ryu would never be one to do something like that. She blinked.

The figure did not move and Ryu retracted his hand as if he had been burned. A look of disgust passed over his features. He took two steps backwards and disappeared leaving Kasumi alone on the rooftop. Kasumi turned her head to look at the now vacant space behind her and frowned slightly wondering why he had left. Did he really believe that he was imagining things? He was, after all, looking at someone who was supposed to be dead.

Kasumi stood shortly after, having heard enough of her brother's ramblings. She knew who was going and when they would be leaving. She also knew her next course of actions could get her in a lot of trouble but she was going to stay in the village, she was going to stay and spy on the Super Ninja.

She turned quickly spinning into nothingness, her presence completely undetected. Her mother then looked over the crowd in boredom.

--

Kasumi knew Ryu well enough to know he would be at the Dojo so she appeared there in a place she knew he wouldn't see her in. She watched him place his sword down and then throw his mask in frustration. Kasumi had to fight not to giggle. Ryu was throwing a temper tantrum. He sat down in seiza and his body continuously trembled. Kasumi frowned in worry. What could make Ryu lose his cool?

"She's dead sensei."

Ryu's whisper echoed in the vacant dojo and Kasumi gasped softly. Normally Ryu would have heard but he simply looked straight ahead.

"I have failed in keeping affection of her away. I did not realize my mistake until she died."

Kasumi knew that he was talking to her and her cheeks flushed and her heart sped up. She did not know how much she had meant to him, but to her, he was always just a friend, and a protector, and… well he was a lot of things to her.

"You were right about women, she has made me weak, I cannot train without losing control, sleep eludes me and now I am having delusions."

Kasumi stepped further into the shadows as Ryu stood.

"I've failed you sensei, I am sorry, but please help me to be stronger and forget her."

Kasumi bit her lip; she didn't want Ryu to forget her, even though all ninja were supposed to forget the dead. Ryu then stood and looked at his sword, he grabbed it and disappeared. Kasumi walked forward and grabbed his mask, she too, then disappeared into nothingness.

Kasumi was surprised at how well she knew Ryu, and that he would be here. He ripped his sword from the sheath, all of his ninja grace was gone; he looked like a beast. He ripped a tree from its roots before reducing it to splinters in seconds. Kasumi gasped in shock at the destruction he caused and just watched him. She watched until he collapsed from fatigue.

Kasumi had caught the ninja before he hit the ground and his eyes opened slightly.

"Kasumi?" She smiled softly at him and shook her head slowly

"Let me go Ryu."

It was the last thing he remembered before the darkness overcame him.

--

When Ryu awoke he was in his futon, his sword and mask were on his night table and his usual gear was still on. He sat up and leaned against the wall.

_Let me go Ryu…_

Ryu knew that he had to let her go; he had to forget her and anything that she meant to him. She was changing him too much, she made him _feel._ She destroyed what years of training had built. He stood quickly discarding his clothing before finding a new set and dressing. It was blue and similar to Hayate's usual attire.

Ryu was soon to be found under a waterfall meditating. His head was soon filled with thoughts of the Kunochi of Destiny and then, through sheer will power, they were released into the air.

--

Sereo had pulled on his black fingerless gloves when a girl covered in black appeared behind him. He turned to her and she smiled slightly, it was a polite smile but not one that was truly meant. He smiled in the same manner before strapping a sword onto his back and speaking.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hayate sama wishes to meet with you."

Hayate looked up as the ninja responsible for his sister's death walked in. Hayate stayed silent as Sereo sat down.

"In light of recent events-"

"The circumstances of Kasumi's death," Sereo interrupted. He knew from past experience that Hayate would drag out explanations to make it seem like he knew what he was talking about, that he was a noble man, but Sereo knew otherwise, he could smell the perfume of the lady he had spent the evening with. He also nodded towards Ayane who smiled in response.

"In light of those events I think that it would be best if you took over and helped the Hajin Mon and assisted the village from the shadows."

"What!" Ayane stepped forward and Hayate glared at her.

"Why were you hiding and listening in?"

"She was standing there the entire time, she wasn't even hiding, I nodded to her before." Sereo interjected and Ayane smirked, both of them wondering just how far Hayate had sunk. Hayate waved his hand dismissing the comment.

"Anyway, I feel that you are fit to-"

"Why not me?"

"He is more skilled."

"In what? He knows nothing of Hajin Mon technique."

"It is true Hayate sama."

"I feel that-"

"And I'm asking-" Ayane interrupted once again, clearly upset by the subject. She was tired of being put down because of the circumstances of her birth and now, after she had earned respect, the only one who believed in her before, didn't.

"Ayane!" Hayate's yell had silenced his half sister and his look towards her was of disgust. It was a look she had only received from villagers before, and even though she didn't care when it came from them, it hurt when it came from her brother, the only person she had ever truly let in.

"He has carried out your mission, which was to kill the shinobi, which you could not"

Sereo shifted slightly and Ayane crossed her arms.

"And therefore is more fit to lead."

"Hayate sama, I respectfully decline, Ayane san is right, I know nothing of their technique, I would not be fit to lead the Hajin Mon."

"Very well." Hayate said dropping the matter completely.

Ayane wanted to kill her brother right now and she wanted to maim Sereo, but he had addressed her with more respect than before and she found that she couldn't hold anything against him.

--

Ayame had closed a book and laid it on the shelf before standing to walk outside. When she opened her door she had seen Ryu walking by and she called out to him. He turned to her and she told him to come in for some tea, he declined but after a stern look was on his way into the house.

Ryu had accepted the tea with thanks and had sipped at it as she sat down as well. It was normal for Ryu to stop by and have a cup of tea and talk to Ayame. Usually they talked about the Mugen Tenshin and it's doings but as of now they drank in silence. It was a comfortable silence that Ayame broke when she cleared her threat and looked straight ahead.

"I don't have to tell you to fight with honor in this battle."

Ryu put down his cup and looked at her in shock, though none of it showed, it looked as if he just shifted his attention towards her. Ayame didn't look like a loving mother anymore but a strong and powerful woman, one that looked like she had belonged next to Shiden as he led the village. The yukata that made her look loving now made her look powerful.

"Of course not, Ayame sama."

Ryu let the suffix slip but it was necessary, for right now she was not speaking to him as a friend, or the mother of a friend, but as the leader of the clan. Ryu knew that she would lead better than her son.

"This is not an ordinary mission, it holds much more priority and failure is not an option."

"Hai." Ryu nodded and Ayame took a deep breath.

"Do not protect Hayate."

Ryu stayed silent. He would do his best to protect his team but ultimately if they had to die he would let them. Ayame set her cup down silently. She looked at Ryu and he knew she was giving him an indirect order. Hayate's own mother was saying that Hayate was not worth sacrificing his life for, basically that Ryu was not to protect him. Ayame continued,

"If we lose the war it will matter not that we have a leader. We will be dishonored and weak. If we win without a leader, I shall take my rightful place as head of the Mugen Tenshin until I can find another."

Ayame lifted her cup again and Ryu said nothing.

"You do not belong to our clan, or our family, yet you have been invited in. But remember this, you are not bound by our laws, if you leave they will not seek you to kill you. And if you let Hayate die, it will not dishonor you as a ninja, perhaps it could as a friend."

"You did not need to tell me this, I am aware."

Ayame nodded and Ryu picked up his tea and took the last sip.

"But I do need to tell you to be careful." Ryu looked to her and a smile graced her lips. Her regal aura left, and Ryu felt basked in the love of a mother.

"Be safe and come back to me."

**Chapter End**

**TDS**: so tell me what you think, Favorite part, least favorite part?

I loved the whole idea of mini Kasumi did you? Oh and I was iffy on the whole Ryu sees Kasumi thing so please tell me how that was, good or bad!!!!


	9. AN and peek at First Strike

**This is sort of an update but sort of not.**

**-**

_**As most of you know it is (going to be) a long story and i was thinking of novelizing it. I have no idea if i will but if i do i need original names!! If you have a name for Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate, or RYU (the only ones i need to replace) LET ME KNOW!! PLEASE**_

_**and if i pick your name (regardless to whatever happens to the story) i will write a doa oneshot of your choice even if it's a pairing i don't like. (see, i'm desperate!!)**_

**-**

**While writing chapter nine my computer crashed and I lost everything so I re-read my story (a lot) before I attempted to re-write it. And I was like "wait a minute, why didn't anyone tell me that I wrote that, it doesn't make sense!"**

**So this is just a few corrections I'm making, scenes I'm changing and a peek at chapter nine.**

**--**

**This is the first scene I'm changing**

**--**

**Flashback**

_"Kalona sama!"_

_Sereo stopped short and turned quickly towards the man sitting on a tree stump. The man was wearing a tight red shirt and had on tight black pants that hugged his muscular legs. He was wearing black boots and had a sash tied to his left bicep, he was looking away even as he heard Sereo speak his name. He looked down and the wind blew his unruly hair back. Sereo just stood in awe, looking at him in disbelief, could this really be Kalona?_

_Kalona looked to Sereo and stood, he was 6'2 and had tan skin, it was built and in perfect physical condition, he had brown curly hair and piercing brown eyes. He did not appear to be aged but held the grace of an elder. Kalona crossed his arms and watched as Sereo stumbled forward and bowed to him as quickly as possible, almost causing the other to laugh._

"_It is really you"_

"_Hai, Sereo"_

"_You have appeared to me, for what reason Kalona Sama" Kalona nodded_

"_I have, and the reason is Kasumi, she is the one you have been sent to kill, but I have a different mission for you instead"_

"_Hai"_

_Sereo immediately felt to one knee with his hand on the floor in a fist in front of him. He looked down at the floor respectfully as the wind blew by once again._

**End Flashback**

**--**

**I'm changing this because I didn't like it**

**--**

Sereo stopped running and reached for his weapon. He stopped as his hand gripped the handle of his blade. He shifted his stance cautiously ready to attack, or most likely defend.

"I can sense you." He called out into the seemingly empty field.

"Ninja have gotten weaker."

Sereo watched in anticipation as a figure appeared in front of a tree. Sereo could see him, but he was hidden by the shadows. The man was slouched against the tree crossing his legs at the ankle and supporting himself on his left foot.

"I've been watching you for a while, you were sent to kill her."

Sereo said nothing as the other pushed off against the tree to stand up straight and start walking towards him. The shadows still hid much about the figure except for a vague outline. The figure came out of the shadows, but Sereo still could not see much of him, only that he was tall, and muscular.

"I do not wish to fight you." Sereo didn't believe him. All of his life he was trained for one thing and one thing only, the fight, so his companion must have been raised the same way. They were going to fight; otherwise they would never have met.

"Then what do you wish"

"Calm down Sereo…" The figure said before it ceased to exist. Sereo could feel the man behind him, the breath on his ear, the warmth of his skin and the beat of his heart where their skin touched.

"I could kill you easily either way."

"What do you want?"

"You were planning to help the Shinobi instead of killing her, you've made that obvious. You want to help her because you think it will atone for your crime."

Sereo did not respond. He remembered his crime, only it wasn't a crime to anyone but him, they honored him for it.

"Your sister, remember?" There was no response other than the clenching of Sereo's fist." The one you killed in cold blood?"

"Enough!"

Kalona took a step back but Sereo did not move from his original spot, but his hand dropped from his sword.

"I need you to send her to me."

"Why?" He took a step forward and turned to face the man and see him for the first time. His eyes widen and instead of drawing his sword as he originally intended he closed his eyes dropping to his knee in respect. Sereo could not believe what he had just seen. It was Kalona Sama!

Kalona stood at 6'2 with tan skin and piercing brown eyes that showed the wisdom of an elder and the playfulness of a youth. He did not appear to be aged yet he carried the aura and grace of an elder. Kalona crossed his arms and looked down towards the man on his knees in front of him.

"Kalona sama."

"Stand" Sereo slowly stood and looked towards the other.

"I need you to send her to me."

"How?" Kalona didn't answer his question.

"Do what you wish as for training her, but when the shogun calls take her with you, and when the moon fills, blood will spill into the Earth."

"You're going to kill the Shogun?" Kalona turned away from Sereo and walked away once again leaving his question unanswered. Sereo took a step towards Kalona who lifted his right hand dismissively.

"How will I-"

"We will meet again."

And with that he disappeared into the shadows.

--

_**This scene is in the Chapter **_War

--

_"So what is your skill?"_

_"I don't really know" she confessed "I got inspired to draw one day after my sensei died and it was this one."_

_She opened the book to the middle and showed Ryu a picture of his village. His father was walking towards the frame._

_"That's my father," Kasumi nodded looking solemn, looking too old for her age. It reminded Ryu of himself when he was younger. She was living a life similar to a ninja, but at the same time completely different. She put the picture down in its previous place before speaking._

_"Hayabusa Ken, he's dead, when I found out I stopped drawing knowing it to me more than a mere coincidence, but now I just can't stop. I can feel a force compelling me to. I have to continue."_

_"How old are you?"_

_"11"_

_She closed the book. Ryu looked at her in silence just thinking. His thoughts were interrupted when she cleared her throat._

_"It is nearly sunset; I know that there is somewhere you must be." Ryu nodded and got up. It wasn't wise to underestimate someone because of their age, even at the age of eleven. Ryu had killed at a young age, so she could definitely be skilled in her art at this age, whatever her art managed to be. He had turned to leave when he had felt her move, but he stopped when she spoke._

--

_**Well, she's only eleven, and he died twenty years ago, so that didn't make sense.**_

_**I'm changing that to this.**_

--

"So what is your skill?"

"I don't really know" she confessed "I got inspired to draw one day after my sensei died and it as this one."

She opened the book to the middle and showed Ryu picture of a woman. It was the woman he had worked with a while ago, one that had almost gotten past his barriers to his heart. His throat felt dry seeing a picture of her so… lively. He vividly remembered her with the bullet in her forehead but not with a smile. It also reminded him of the other woman who had managed to sneak past the walls around his heart. He spoke, he tried to say her name and not have it come out as a hurt whisper as it had the last time he said it.

"That's…" He couldn't even utter her name, instead his voice faded into nothing before he could start to say the name. Kasumi nodded looking solemn, looking too old for her age. It reminded Ryu of himself when he was younger. She was living a life so similar to a ninja's but at the same time completely different. She put down the picture in its previous place before speaking.

"She's dead. When I found out I stopped drawing, knowing it to be more than a mere coincidence, but now I can't stop, I can feel a force compelling me to. I have to continue."

"How old are you?"

"Eleven."

She closed the book. Ryu looked at her in silence just thinking about the past, and what was left there, _who_ was left there. His thoughts were once again interrupted when she cleared her throat.

"It is nearly sunset; I know that there is somewhere you must be." Ryu nodded and stood. It wasn't wise to underestimate people because of their age, even at the tender age of eleven. Ryu had killed at a young age, so he could definitely be skilled in her art at this age, whatever her art managed to be. He had turned to leave when he felt her move, but he stopped when she spoke.

--

_**Other corrections and notes:**_

--

Ryu wears the ribbon like he does in Ninja Gaiden, around his wrist where it miraculously never gets cut of or damaged.

Kasumi only refers to Ryu as Hayabusa san (Some scenes had her say Ryu, but she only says Hayabusa san for purposes of another scene later)

--

That's all I have to correct, hopefully there will be another update soon,

I'll give you a peek of the next chapter so I don't feel as bad for this not being an update.

--

Peek of **First Strike**

"They're here." Yuki whispered as she looked into the trees surrounding them. The others nodded noticing the changes as well. She reached around and dipped her hand into one of the two pouches that were on her waist. She pulled it out and it was covered in a thin film of a clear shiny liquid. Yuki then lowered her stance and brought her hands together rubbing the liquid over them.

Hayate lowered his stance and drew his sword, he could sense a person in the bushes, and two in the trees, but where were the others? Ryu knew that there was only five, but he sensed six people. He rested his hand on the hilt of his blade and waited for the natural signal that would start the fight.

Ayane turned towards the bushes next to them when she heard a twig snap, but it wasn't an enemy. Kasumi bit her lip and braced herself in case her sister attacked her believing her to be an enemy ninja. Ayane reached for her Dual Blade energy sword as a battle cry was heard.

The first of the Tsube to attack was Kippei Ten; he jumped off of a tree branch with a battle cry. Hoping to kill with his first strike the muscular nineteen year old brought his sword down to hit the leader of the Mugen Tenshin. Hayate however simple parried the blow and Ten was forced to step back. They looked at each other judging the other, looking for an opening, a weakness, their chance to kill.

Hayate recognized Ten from the Chokaku, he was the youngest there. He looked tall sitting but judging now he looked to be 6'3, and the way he carried himself made him seem even taller and Hayate feel small, even though he stood at 5'11".

Ryu had been targeted by Ishibashi Kenji. Both long haired men had seen each other before Ten had even moved from the tree. Ryu brought his hand down from his sword, stepped back, and grabbed his nun chucks.

**TDS: **you can review telling me you hate me for now updating if you want cause I do seem to be really bad at it, I've got too many stories to maintain at once so it's hard. Same drill so tell me a favorite scene/least favorite scene etc.


	10. First Strike

**TheDarkestShinobi:** not much to say other than sorry for the long wait and thank you for your patience. Let me know what you think!

Oh and changed their format so my new divider is ((**TheDarkestShinobi**)) if anyone has a better idea for one let me know!

_**As most of you know it is (going to be) a long story and I was thinking of novelizing it. I have no idea if I will but if I do I need original names! If you have a name for Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate, RYU or the Hajin Mon and Mugen Tenshin villages(the only ones I need to replace) LET ME KNOW! PLEASE!**_

_**And if I pick your name (regardless to whatever happens to the story) I will write a DOA one-shot of your choice even if it's a pairing I don't like. (see, I'm desperate!)**_

**Chapter start**

The tension in the air was thick when Ryu arrived. Hayate leaned against a tree in his usual white and blue garb and was shooting Ayane, who was in her usual purple garb, disgusted glances and she was ignoring him, Sereo was sitting against a tree and no one spoke. Only Yuki was missing but he knew she would be there shortly. He had seen her gathering her weapon when he left the Ieto household. He had not seen her fight before but was anticipating greatness from her. One who mastered pain would be a master at pleasure, so naturally one who mastered healing would also be a master at poisoning the body and watching it destroy itself.

Within seconds he heard her coming, she had two pouches on her waist that were liquid proof and he knew that her weapon was in there. He briefly looked over his shoulder to make sure they were not being watched. He did not see anyone, but he could not shake the feeling.

Kasumi watched them intently from her hiding spot. The only one she felt that she needed to study was Yuki. Yuki was the only one she didn't know and hadn't fought. Yuki did not seem to have a physical weapon but held something in those pouches, but before she could investigate further she had to hide.

Kasumi smiled slightly, leave it to Ryu to sense her before they had even left, she nodded and decided that she would have to follow a trail and not them; after all it was better to be behind than spotted.

They took off as soon as it was dark. The five ninja and their ghost blended into the shadow that stretched over the earth as they ran to fight, and some of them, to die.

Slowly, Kasumi was able to creep up on them so that she was only a few seconds behind and luckily for her Sereo was in the back and could warn her if she got too close. He didn't warn her of anything so she followed them making sure to step in pace with them and breathe when they did. She was their living shadow.

**The Darkest Shinobi**

"We will eat now," Hayate suddenly said and they all slowed to a stop. "If we fight as much as I think we will, then there will barely be enough time for us to eat after this."

Ryu nodded and watched Yuki and Ayane leave to go and catch their food from one of the few streams in the fields of Kita Santi. He took a quick scan of the surrounding area and determined that he was alone so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. It did not contain the false words that leaders used but the bluntness of a tool. He turned so that he could use the morning sun as his light and make sure it was still intact. It read

_The battle is between those on the scroll and not between our villages, there is no real reason for war at this time so let us decide this honorably as our ancestors did and not with the methods of the distant past._

He knew he would have to deliver it himself to Haruka for it to be taken seriously, so he would set off to deliver it at nightfall when they would be more alert and less likely to accidentally attack him. He skimmed it and nodded putting it back in his pocket. He then caught sight again of the blue sheath he had. Why did he bring it? He had plenty of weapons and there was no chance in him finding her and giving it back. He shook his head, he could not get distracted, Kasumi did not matter; she was meaningless; the only thing that mattered was the mission, the war.

He left at nightfall, Yuki, who had first watch, eyed him curiously but he didn't pay her any attention. He had done this only once before but he was sure he could again. Jumping into a tree branch he held his hands in front of him. He then bent his elbows and crossed them before only holding his right one up and spinning. Yuki blinked and Ryu was gone, replaced by a falcon with a single piece of paper rolled up and held in its talons. She stood there in awe as he flew away from them, shaking her head she sat back down and wondered if she needed some sleep.

Finding out where they were was easy; his eyes were even sharper as the creature. He owed everything to it. When he was younger he was killed, slain by the same man, no monster that had killed his entire clan, but, miraculously was brought back to life by a merciful falcon so that he could take revenge. He was living on someone else's time and he did not intend to waste it.

He spotted their camp and was relieved to see the bodies lying on the floor and that Haruka was on watch. He circled above the camp and was very aware when she started to eye him, timing it just right he released the paper so that she wouldn't have to move too far to catch it. She opened it and read it quickly keeping her attention on the falcon.

She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that the falcon was not really a bird, but a person who shared the same name. He landed on a tree branch and turned his head looking at her, waiting for her verdict.

"You're right Ryu; this shouldn't be solved like savages." She walked closer towards the falcon and he lifted his wings ready to take off. He knew he was very weak in this form, but it made travel easier and no one would attack a falcon flying by. She smiled and wanted to say she wasn't going to hurt him but she knew it wasn't true. She was at war with him and they were not fighting now, but they could very well kill each other tomorrow. She didn't want to, she had liked him for a very long time, and she had missed him. She wanted to run up to him and hug him, to pretend that they weren't enemies or even ninja, just two friends. She had often thought about the possibility of 'more than friends' but any hope of that had died when his village was murdered and the arranged marriage between them cancelled, though she doubted Ryu had known anything about it.

She just wanted to touch him, even if he was an animal at the time. She took another step forward and he extended the wings fully ready to leave her again. She smiled though he could tell it was fake and held up the paper.

"I agree with you, there will be no total war, only this."

The falcon, satisfied with the answer he received, instantly took to the skies. Haruka watched it leave and crossed her arms over her chest watching the bird forlornly.

"I've missed you Ryu."

**The Darkest Shinobi**

"Let's start moving; we don't want to be ambushed."

Everyone, once again, followed Hayate's orders and soon they were looking for someplace to camp near water. Kasumi followed at a distance. She thought Ayane had noticed her on two occasions but they were two false alarms and left her being even more careful. She darted from behind bush to bush behind them. Sereo didn't acknowledge her, so either, he was very good at ignoring her, or she was skilled enough that no one would notice her if she tried to mask herself. She had survived being on the run for far too long according to her siblings and most of her village, so her skills were honed. Still, she had to be cautious.

She found her focus drifting to Ryu, her mother had told her that he was not the same, and she had seen him break down, but he seemed fine now. She knew that one would not show their weaknesses and missing her was a definite weakness so if he was still suffering it would be in silence and in darkness. Or did he possibly forget her?

With the exception of Ryu and possibly Hayate, none of the Mugen Tenshin ninja looked intimidating and strong. She knew, of course, that looks were deceiving, and that one should not judge by it, but ninjas do, even the more experienced ones did. It was one of the reasons she was still alive, everyone underestimated her.

Even now they were underestimating her, and their enemies, if she had been an enemy, she would've grabbed the senbon pouch she had and made quick work of at least three of them. They needed to be more alert, and she would have to warn Sereo the next time she seen him about that, after all, she would not always be watching them, and ironically, protecting them.

**The Darkest Shinobi**

Kasumi leaned over her desk and smiled drawing the last line; this was the first picture she had drawn in a long time that wasn't ominous in any way shape or form. The woman in the picture had short purple hair and was wearing a purple outfit. Kasumi paused and tilted her head; she had seen this woman before. She saw her recently too.

"Hayabusa san…" she whispered as she remembered she was walking with him. She leaned back onto her legs and looked at the paper for any sort of hint, what did it mean? The woman in the picture was lying in the grass; she had a small smile on her face and appeared to be sleeping. There was a silver feather lying on the ground and other than that it appeared to be a normal field, like the ones below Kita Santi.

"Kasumi, our meal is ready!" Kasumi jumped slightly startled by her mother's quick shout.

"I will be down in a minute; I am putting away my things."

Kasumi quickly picked up her coloring supplies and put them on the top shelf before grabbing her big book to put her new drawing in. She placed it down and looked at the picture one last time.

"Kasumi!"

She jumped at the sound of her door opening and felt something wet underneath her bottom. She stood to see her red oil on the floor and felt it seeping into her pants. She looked at her mother apologetically but her mother was not looking at her but the mess on the floor.

"I'm sorry I will clean it."

Kasumi turned and stopped, the girl in the picture was not sleeping. She was dead.

The oil had become blood on her picture and made the feather a sword. Her peaceful face now looked pained. Kasumi brought her hands to her face; she just killed this person with her prediction. Like Irene, this woman would be dead in the next twenty four hours.

Her mother had looked at her after she was able to tear her eyes away from the picture. She felt as if she was seeing a different person in her daughter. She was not longer a small and innocent girl; she practiced the mysterious arts, much like a ninja, much like the kunochi she named her after.

Kasumi's mother, Katsu Izumi, admired ninjas and others who practiced the arts; they had become more than human simply by applying themselves. She had even named her daughter after the supposed Kunochi of Destiny; which hadn't gone unnoticed but went unsaid by her brother. The Shogun had always been against ninjas because he had always been scared of their power. Shoguns in general were only supposed to control the disputes between the Shinobi villages, never to destroy them, which was the goal of the new shogun.

She knew her brother wanted to bring about new laws that further forbade and punish those who were found to know and practice the arts and as the Shogun he had the power to do that, but now she was concerned for her daughter. Kasumi had learned a secret art from her sensei and now she was in danger here as long as she practiced it. She had to stop, or be sent away.

"Is this what Taiki was teaching you, Kasumi?"

"Yes." She replied as she walked over to the picture and kneeled in front of it. , she looked at her mother delicately picking it up.

"I will be at dinner in just another few minutes."

"We will talk about this later."

Kasumi looked back at the picture after her mother had left her room; she bowed her head in remorse.

"I'm sorry."

**The Darkest Shinobi**

"They're here." Yuki whispered as she looked into the trees surrounding them. The others nodded noticing the subtle changes as well such as the smell of the wind and sounds of the forest. She reached around and dipped her hand into one of the two pouches that were on her waist. She pulled it out and it was covered in a thin film of a clear shiny liquid. Yuki then lowered her stance and brought her hands together rubbing the liquid over them. She looked up into the trees and slowly turned scanning them. She then spread her legs slightly farther and held her hands in front of her in her stance.

Sereo curtly nodded in response but did not reach for his weapon. He didn't move his body but looked to his upper left, there was a patch of darker green in the tree, one; he then caught a glimpse of silver hair; two. He could tell that there were two others up there and saw the black fabric of another. They weren't hiding very well, so Sereo could only assume that they were not going for a surprise attack but he knew he could not be too safe.

Hayate lowered his stance and drew his sword, he had barely noticed before but after Yuki had commented on the presences they became apparent to him. He could sense a person in the bushes, and two in the trees, but where were the others? He looked into the trees intently; they all had to be there, to go for a quick kill one would strike from behind, below, or above. He would not be caught by surprise. He tightened his hold on his sword slightly with his left hand as he started to feel the adrenaline run through his body, and he smiled.

Ryu knew that there was only five other ninjas since the Tsube was about as honorable as the Mugen Tenshin and they had stayed true to the five on five, but he sensed six people and he always trusted his senses, it was something his sensei and experience had taught him. Just like the feeling he had that they had been watched at the entrance to the Mugen Tenshin. Keeping wary of the inevitable attack, he rested his hand on the hilt of his blade and waited for the natural signal that would start the fight.

Ayane turned her head and looked towards the bushes next to them when she heard a twig snap, whoever was hiding there was careless or clever. She could attack it preemptively and she knew that she would be able to take the out ninja in the bushes, but most likely if that person had made themselves known then there would be someone above her waiting to take her out when she did decide to attack. The best thing to do then, was wait.

Kasumi bit her lip cursing her carelessness; she was too distracted by the tension in the air and carelessly stepped wrong and exposed herself to them all. She could sense all of the other ninja and could tell that the inevitable battle was coming soon. She braced herself in case her sister attacked her believing her to be an enemy ninja and noticed that the forest quieted itself, as if the entire world was watching this single fight and no one wanted to miss anything. Ayane reached for her Dual Blade energy sword as the first battle cry was heard.

The first of the Tsube to attack was Ten Kippei; he jumped off of a tree branch with a battle cry. Hoping to kill with his first strike the muscular nineteen year old brought his sword down to hit the leader of the Mugen Tenshin. If he could take out the leader then the rest should be even easier. Hayate, however, simply parried the blow and Kippei was forced to step back. They looked at each other judging the other, looking for an opening, a weakness, their chance to kill. Both swords were held out towards the other offensively.

Hayate instantly recognized Kippei from the Chokaku, he was the youngest there. He looked tall sitting but judging now he looked to be 6'3, and the way he carried himself made him seem even taller and made Hayate feel small, even though he stood at 5'11". His tan skin made him stand out among them and his dirty blonde hair fell over his black headband and covered the crimson part. His outfit was black with crimson seams and he had on black fingerless gloves.

Ryu had been targeted by Ishibashi Kenji. Both long haired men had made brief eye contact before Kippei had even moved from the tree and picked each other as their opponents. Ryu brought his hand down from his sword, stepped back, and grabbed his nun chucks. He then drew his nun chucks from his left side with his right hand and quickly brought it to his side, effectively knocking the sword off its course. Ryu took a step back and Kenji narrowed his eyes.

Kenji held his Katana offensively as he and the Dragon ninja eyed each other. He stood at 5'9" and had a muscular build. His long brown hair was held back in a tight ponytail and his brown eyed stared into the Jade ones staring back. On his left bicep was a blue band tattoo, he was part of the Koga sect of the Tsube, which was the equivalent of the Hajin Mon sect of the Mugen Tenshin. Ayane had a similar mark in red on her bicep to identify her as someone of honor and skill. The Koga and Hajin Mon sect were specialized parts of the Tsube and Mugen Tenshin clans respectively, and they specialized in assassination and the hunting of rouge Shinobi.

Ayane had rolled to the side and narrowly avoided Haruka's attack. Ayane lunged for the other as soon as she could and was surprised when Haruka placed her hand over her own and managed to spin letting Ayane's momentum send her forward while hitting the back of her head. Ayane quickly turned and gave her opponent a once over. She was Senshi Haruka, leader of the Tsube. She had dirty blonde hair that barely reached her shoulder blades and bright sky blue eyes. She stood a full four inches above Ayane at 5'6" but had the same build.

Kazuo Yaten had made her move at the same time all of the others had. She jumped out of her tree and made a move for Sereo, who swiftly dodged. However, he was caught by surprise and hit in the chest by Manjidani Gobei. Before Gobei could deliver another move he was kicked in the chest by Yuki, who then stepped forward and trust her hands into his chest making him stagger back. The two faced each other and their opponents at once. Kazuo Yaten stood at 5'7" and had long silver hair that reached her knees, her blue green eyes eyed Sereo and Yuki warily, especially since she recognized the substance on her hands and what she guessed was in the pouch. The other elder next to her was Manjidani Gobei; Yuki recognized him and made a mental note to watch out for his flexibility. He was much shorter than her, standing at only 5'2" and he was bald, a stark contrast to his partner. She briefly wondered if they were married but dismissed the thought.

Kasumi had watched the four battles that had been set up in a matter of seconds and bit her lip. She could take out at least two of the Tsube Nin right now with her senbon, she was an excellent shot, and with the distraction of her attack the Mugen Tenshin could emerge victorious. She could insure all of their safety, but she would be going against the Shoguns law and would lose all of her honor. What if she missed and hit her friends? What if she didn't take them all out and news of her interference traveled to the Shogun?

Should she interfere or let the battle play out on its own; what if someone got hurt, what if they died? She dug her foot deeper into the soft dirt and leaned forward crouching, if she did need to step in, she would need to be ready. Her eyes immediately caught sight of Ryu's chest, and the blue sheath on it. She felt naked without it, but knew she would need to learn how to get used to it, because she wasn't getting it back until she had finished her mission and spoke to him again unless she was able to steal from him. It would be virtually impossible since he never let his guard down but maybe, just maybe she could pull it off.

They all rushed each other at the exact same time; the silent forest was suddenly filled with the sounds of swords clashing and flesh meeting flesh. Kasumi's eyes then widened and she turned her head to look behind her with narrowed eyes. She knew any sound she made would be ignored as if she was a frightened animal running away so she took a few quick steps towards the sound she heard. Maybe the Tsube wasn't playing as fair as she though they were.

She heard Ryu let out a battle cry and the ground shake so she used that distraction to jump into a tree branch above. She stood against it with her hand on the bark for extra balance. She scanned the ground below and seen a shadow that did not belong there, she knew someone was watching her. She took off in a sprint but by the time she arrived at the spot there was nothing there, she raised her hand to block the sun as she turned but she already knew it was a person and not an image.

She then caught sight of another shadow and took off.

**The Darkest Shinobi**

Kalona was playing a very dangerous game, he needed to speak with her soon so that she could fulfill her purpose, but at the same time needed to fight her, and be inconspicuous at the same time. After all, either way, she was dead, or going to be very soon. He had been caught off guard when she suddenly perked up and started to follow him, but now he was tempting her, leading her farther away from the only people here.

He needed her to be alone.

She jumped into a tree branch with grace and agility and he was reminded so much of Ryubi. He had woken up to see something like that one morning when he was with her, and now he had to unlock the potential in this one. He had almost stepped out of his hiding spot then, but they were still too close to everyone else, and he knew there could be no interference. Sereo had done his job very well; it was time he took over.

He felt the lightweight metal in his pocket make itself known he and patted it as he stepped out slightly to give her another shadow to follow.

"Soon." He whispered to it "Soon."

**The Darkest Shinobi**

The fights were taken out of the clearing relatively quickly and four separate battles ensued.

Kenji and Ryu seemed to be dancing rather than fighting as neither one seemed to able to land a single hit. They both struck and dodged as if they had been fighting with each other for years. Suddenly Kenji jumped into a tree branch above Ryu, who put his nun chucks in its pouch. Kenji glanced towards the battlefield they had left to see Ayane and Haruka fighting.

Ayane's dual blade was on the ground and she was fist fighting with Haruka. Both girls had taken quite a few hits but neither seemed close to being finished. The split second Kenji gave him was the only time he needed and suddenly Ryu sent a huge energy ball towards Kenji. Kenji had made a hand sign and vanished right before it hit him. When he reappeared he felt a fist against his face and then a knee to his stomach. Kenji then swept Ryu and Ryu flipped up and eyed him.

The energy ball hurdled towards Yaten and Gobei who simultaneously jumped out of the way over Yuki and Sereo. Yaten jumped farther than Gobei and next to Haruka. They both then grabbed an arm of Ayane and delivered a swift right kick. Ayane felt the pain from both her chest and her back and panted as she lay on the ground for a second. Before either could deliver another blow Sereo had jumped in between them doing a split kick that dealt only enough damage for them to step back. Gobei went to strike Sereo but Yuki had hit him in the side with her elbow.

Ayane then rose to her feet and they all stared each other down until Yuki rushed forward. Yuki and Sereo were thrown against each other by Haruka and Gobei and Yaten rushed Ayane who stepped to the side. Instead of letting Yaten just rush past her she grabbed her long hair and threw her to the floor.

Yuki had been prevented from going into her pouch by Yaten who probably knew what was in it, but she wasn't here now. Yuki slowly took a few steps back and dipped her shiny hands into the pocket with a smile on her face. Sereo started to fight Haruka and Ayane was double teamed by the other two.

Ryu and Kenji had made their way back to the field. Ryu had drawn his sword but neither of them had made any aggressive move yet. Kenji was planning something and Ryu knew that, but he didn't know just what he was planning.

Yaten had been thrown against the floor again but Gobei did not seem to budge an inch, even when she did hit him. She spun and went to punch him but he had stopped her punch with ease. His hand which was at his hip was then thrust into her chest. He let out a battle cry as she flew into the air and the cry sent Kenji into action.

Kenji had slowly been maneuvering their positions so that when the chance arose the dragon ninja would not be able to catch him before he killed the purple haired one. Ryu chased him but it was too late to stop him.

Ayane landed facing Gobei and was gasping for air; five points on her chest now were red where his fingers hit. She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward as her vision hazed. Ayane had felt the sword enter her and the rest of her air leave her lungs all at once. She knew it couldn't be over though; this couldn't be the end of her, not now. She felt it come out of her and fell to her knees, unable to support herself she fell forward.

Kenji's victory was short lived however as he felt two hands against his chest. He looked down and seen only black hair before he screamed in pain. The impact did not hurt much, but it was the burning of his flesh under her palms. Yuki's hands were covered in a yellow powder like substance. It was a poison she spent most of her life making. It ate through his clothes on impact and through his skin shortly after. She pulled back and uppercut him in the chin smirking at the sizzling sound it made. He flew back towards his teammates and Yuki looked at them with the smirk still on her face.

Yaten knew she was a poison maker. She shot Gobei a quick look and they both picked up Kenji and vanished. Haruka shot Ryu a quick glance and as the wind blew her body seemed to blow away like sand.

"Ayane!" Ryu had picked her upper body up delicately to check the wound, as far as he could tell it was lethal, but they did have a medic on the team. She might be able to help; he didn't want to lose another person. Yaten looked at her sympathetically. She was stabbed in a vital place but could very well live. It depended on how well she was able to treat her.

"Put her down Hayabusa Sama; Sereo Sama get Hayate Sama!"

Sereo took off into the only place where the sounds of fighting were still heard. He slowed down and took in the condition of the destroyed trees and burnt forest floor. He stopped seeing a bright blue light and hearing a cry of 'torn sky blast.' The fighting stopped after that and Sereo cautiously made his way forward not knowing who the victor was and if he would have to fight him. He found the ninja who survived and stood at the top of a steep incline looking down at him. Hayate then looked up at Sereo, his garb bloody. He smiled and jerked his chin towards the direction of a mutilated corpse. Sereo looked over and then raised his head.

"It is Ayane."

Hayate's smile fell and he broke into a sprint after Sereo who led him to her.

**The Darkest Shinobi**

Kasumi had been so close to finding the shadow but she had stopped to watch the fight between Hayate and his opponent. At first they had fought with their swords until Hayate's sword was knocked away, his opponent, being overconfident, had discarded his shortly after. Hayate then had knocked him off of a steep incline and jumped down there. Kasumi had stayed on top of the hill and watched from behind a tree.

Hayate had picked up his sword since it had been thrown down there and sheathed it wanting to be fair, as Kippei had been before. They started to fistfight and both of them took a beating from the other. Kasumi had almost felt the pain every time her brother took a hit and completely forgot about the mysterious shadow she was following.

The fight quickly became one sided, Hayate had more stamina than Kippei. Kippei was flung halfway across the clearing and Hayate shifted his stance. He made a few quick motions before pulling his right hand back and leaving his left one forward, both bent at the elbow. Suddenly his right hand started to glow a bluish white and he thrust it forward yelling the name of the infamous move.

"Torn Sky Blast!"

Kippei stood no chance; his body was blown back and was a mutilated corpse by the time that it landed. Kasumi took a step back and evaluated the battlefield. It was completely destroyed and anyone who came to it would assume the worst. She quickly disappeared as she heard footsteps coming.

From her new view in the tree top she could see Sereo and Hayate. Hayate nodded towards the body and Sereo looked over it. Sereo then looked at her.

"It is Ayane."

Hayate took off after him and Kasumi looked towards the corpse, was Ayane like that now?

She moved her head back slightly and a kunai sailed past her, she looked to see a man she hadn't seen before and debated whether or not she should follow him. This man had been teasing her and playing an elaborate game of cat and mouse, but she needed to know the fate of her sister. If he was only interested in her, or if he was part of the Tsube, then she would certainly see him again. She turned and took off in the direction Sereo ran; she needed to see her sister.

"Get me water!"

Ryu went to move but Sereo had already turned towards the lake and began to sprint. Kasumi then peeked at them. She felt a cold chill travel up her spine. Ayane lied on the ground as if she was sleeping, her face showed pain and the ground bled beneath her. Kasumi then felt the cold chill be replaced with hot anger.

She should have attacked them all before when she had the chance, Ayane would still be alive. She clenched her fist as tears threatened her, but then Ayane twitched and let out a moan of pain. She was alive. Kasumi felt her senbon stab her in the leg but she knew the pain was only in her head, her senbon were too secure to ever slip. They stabbed her like her regret did; if she had done what she should have Ayane would still be unharmed. Kasumi shook her head, Ayane is a kunochi and should have been able to handle herself, she let down her defenses and that resulted in this.

Kasumi could not cry, not even for Ayane, she had to be strong. Ayane had not cried for her, so she would not cry for Ayane. She looked at Ryu and seen his face, it was neutral but she could tell he was in some sort of pain. She looked back to Ayane and nodded. She would be fine, she had to be.

Ryu missed the tiny flash of light and pink petals as he watched Yuki work on Ayane silently; there wasn't much anyone could do. They could clean the wound and hope it healed properly.

"Ryu Sama, give me the Tanto please."

He handed it over without hesitation and watched as she delicately cut the flesh around the wound so that it was a straight cut instead of a ragged one. Then Sereo returned with the water to clean the wound.

**The Darkest Shinobi**

"How is she?"

Sereo turned to the voice in the night and caught a glimpse of a shine of the gold embroidery on Kasumi's black outfit.

"It could go either way; Yuki cleaned the wound with water and something else then burned the wound close. According to Yuki, the blade nicked her heart and lung, but didn't do extensive damage."

"That's still…"

"I no, if she rips that tissue a tiny bit she could drown in her own blood."

"There was someone watching you, or me."

Sereo looked up to the moon and nodded having a feeling he knew who it was.

"Go to him, Kasumi. You need to find him."

"I didn't say it was a man."

"Just go find him, leave now. Goodbye."

Kasumi nodded and backed away looking at him, she then smiled and turned away sprinting into the night. Ryu had seen her go; he had opened his eyes to see Sereo looking right in her direction and not moving to get her, not even acknowledging her presence, and her running away. He closed his eyes not even having to tell himself that it wasn't real.

He figured Kasumi had gotten too close and it would take awhile to forget her, and he had even gotten used to seeing her, for he seen her even when she wasn't there. Kasumi was dead, he told himself again as he drifted into sleep, and this time, he accepted it as the truth.

**TDS: **Summer is here! I now have time to write more! Until next time! Review!

(Wow, it's hard to believe my stories and side notes are written by the same person.)


	11. Healing

7/7

**TheDarkestShinobi: **I hope you are all pleasantly surprised to see this appear on your story alerts or at the top of the DOA section and the fact that it is not an author's note. It is in fact chapter 10!

Read, review, or just yell at me for leaving the story on hold for so long. I however do have a goal for writing this, which also happened to be the novel I am going to produce (with lots of editing and a bunch of changes) before April which is a lot because it will be 27 chapters.

As for the names I chose Miko from Dragemenian Jew for Ayane so the oneshot of your choice will soon be up on Scene It. In other news I have another Ein/hitomi oneshot up and am starting two new stories, I am back tho, so don't expect them to stay un-updated for a long time.

One thing is bad though. I am novelizing this story, therefore I will not be posting it all here. Otherwise what would be the point in trying to publish it? Not only that but I do change certain factors so at some point some interactions won't make sense knowing the original characters and they became different characters, mine, not Dead or Alive's if that makes any sense. I will find some way to end this story nicely and tie up loose ends but it will not be my original masterpiece. (hehe, I really don't think that highly of it lol)

I doubt it, but if you are interested in the book or anything similar feel free to message me. You could even request a wacky ending to this since I am looking for ways to end it.

I must thank you for reading this much (of both the story and the AN) so enjoy this chapter.

**TDS**

Kasumi stood at the opening of a cave cautiously. The cold midnight wind rustled the leaves behind her and she carefully listened out for the sounds of him returning, but she heard nothing. She glanced towards the forest before darting into the cave. She instantly felt a chill crawl down her spine inside the cave. She could easily tell that it was used by someone recently. Kneeling slightly she touched the warm blacker spot in the cave. It was warm. Fire. Whoever was here had made a campfire. She stood turning towards the outside and rubbed the soot between her fingers. He had set fire a couple of hours ago, meaning for food for dinner.

She exited the cave knowing whoever was in the cave was long gone and leaving evidence like that meant he either wanted to be found, or he wasn't coming back. Unless he made a mistake, but how likely was that? Perhaps, she thought, he wanted her to trail him. Maybe this was just a trap he had set for her. If so, then she was falling into it perfectly and he would soon be here. She jerked her head up and looked around the area and hid in a shadow as she heard approaching footsteps. She drew a small throwing knife and held if offensively while looking in the direction of the sound.

She lowered the very sound of her breathing and set herself into her offensive stance. Someone was coming closer. Someone was about to die. She watched the spot which she knew the person would be coming out of ready to strike, ready to kill.

It wasn't a person and she watched in awe as a deer galloped through the forest with a few others. It was rare that she seen the creatures so close. They largest one stopped and looked towards her before letting out a small grunt causing them all to run as fast as they could away from her. Kasumi looked down. There once was a time when people and animals did not fear each other this much but she didn't think that it could ever go back. It was instinctual now. Everything was instinctual and learned for her. Like the fact that she now held her kunai like that in front of her instead of seeing who or what is was that was coming closer. She was trained like that, to be a killer, a ninja.

It was useless to think like that though. It didn't matter how she felt, she couldn't change anything. She then looked up with sharp eyes. It was night and she was taught to welcome the night and the cover it gave her. She stood and leaned against the rock wall of the cave knowing she was out of sight to whoever could be in the area. If someone came back tonight she would see them first, she would strike first, and she would win.

**TDS**

Sereo grabbed his sword and stepped back as a figure appeared in front of him. Before Sereo struck the figure he took a second look noticing who he was. Instead his eyes narrowed as he sheathed his sword. Why would Kalona come here and risk being seen?

"Where is she?" Kalona suddenly asked not bothering with formalities.

"Looking for you," Sereo said lowly. "I'm surprised she hasn't already found you."

"She might have." Kalona then said with a small smiling knowing she probably was outside of the cave waiting for him. In that case, he knew, it wouldn't be wise to head back tonight because she would be there and waiting. He crossed his arms and looked over his shoulders towards the direction his camp was in. He would stay away until morning where he would have an advantage against her as a result of the loss of her cover.

Kasumi would be waiting for him. He then smirked and turned back towards Sereo. Sereo looked back towards the ninja's camp and Kalona nodded to himself, it was the girl who was injured that was plaguing his mind. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a small white cloth bag that was tied together with a string and handed it to the other ninja.

"What's this Kalona sama?" He asked as he turned it over in his hand and inspecting it.

"She's not going to last the night without it." He said as he turned away and started walking towards his second camp. Sereo knew well enough that if he followed he would just disappear so he simply opened the bag and looked inside. He tied it back up and put it in his vest pocket before turning away from Kalona to once again scan the empty forest around them in search of the enemy. When he looked back in the direction that Kalona was in his eyes passed over another empty line of forest.

**TDS**

Her eyes were so heavy and her body felt only pain. Breathing hurt as she agitated her wound and she just wanted to go back to that blissfully numb feeling of sleep, but she knew better. Going to sleep was inviting the cold hand of death to come up and take her. She shifted slightly and groaned in pain. It hurt so much, it all burned so much. She had never been in so much pain before, but then again she thought, she had never been so careless before. She opened her eyes but seen only blackness.

After blinking a few times she finally was able to make out the night sky and the stars glistening lightly above them. She let out another breath feeling the pain as her wounds were agitated, but that was a good thing she supposed, the pain meant she was somehow still alive. She blinked and turned her neck slightly to see Yuki sleeping on the ground next to her and Ayane wondered how she managed to save her life. She then closed her eyes and looked back up to the sky.

She really thought she was dead. She had felt it all at once, the pain of her skin as it was broken and the feeling of her insides being ripped open, she had felt the air escape her lungs and the burn as no air rushed back in. Her vision had hazed almost immediately and her target had vanished from in front of her. She could smell the strong metallic scent of blood and hear her heart beat in her head.

As soon as it started it ended as he yanked the sword back out. She felt somehow emptier and everything went black. She knew it wasn't over though and that she couldn't be dead, she was just knocked out. She would wake up. That's what she had thought, but in the blackness she heard a thud as she hit the floor and she had realized that maybe, just maybe, it could be the end.

Sereo watched her out of the corner of his eyes as he put the cloth bag back into his vest pouch. He was skeptical at first but after using it Ayane had actually woken up. He doubted she would ever be the same but at least she was alive. He didn't really care for her himself but he knew that Kasumi did and therefore wanted to help her. He was Kasumi's sister, and therefore his own. He was worried on how Kasumi would take the death of her half-sister and was thankful she wouldn't have to, and Kalona was the one to thank for that. Sereo watched Ayane turn her head and heard her groan and he lowered his gaze to the ground before feeling a shadow over him.

"Ryu?" Sereo asked even though he already knew who the voice belonged to.

"What did you just do to her?" he asked and Sereo looked up to him. There was no trace of sleep in his eyes and Sereo was saved by answering him when another cry was drawn from Ayane as she stirred. Ryu was at her side in the instant and Yuki turned over towards her with wide eyes.

Yuki didn't want to admit it, but she had honestly expected the other kunoichi to perish during the night. She propped herself on her elbow before sitting up looking over the other girl. She pulled the flap of her shirt to the side exposing her and the wound. She then watched as Ryu looked away out of respect. Sereo, Yuki noticed, watched impassively and Hayate stood a few meters away watching with wide eyes. Yuki frowned; he must care for her then, despite the way that he acted towards her. She ran her fingers over the burned flesh and noticed how ugly it looked against her otherwise flawless skin. It seemed fine; Yuki knew however the major part of the injury was on the inside and that she would not be able to tell.

Ayane felt cool hands touching her body and she almost sighed at the relief it gave her but moved her hand to swat it away. She would not admit that she was in pain. She looked up at Yuki and swallowed the saliva in her mouth. She wanted to say something but what could she say. I'm sorry? But that would be admitting that she did something wrong. Thank you? But healing her was Yuki's job, being a medical expert was the only reason she was brought in the first place. She decided to stay silent Yuki pulled the flap back and adjusted the strap. Hayate took another step forward and Ryu turned back towards her.

"Ayane… how are you feeling?" He asked gently as she looked towards him.

"I'm alive." Was her short response as she tried to sit up only to wince in pain and have two hands push her down.

"Barely," Yuki commented as she retracted her hand from the other's shoulder.

"I won't make this mistake again." Ayane finally said after a minute of silence.

"Of course not," Hayate responded as he walked up to her and kneeled besides her. "Because you will not fight again in this battle."

Ayane looked up in shock. He wasn't going to allow her to fight anymore? How was she supposed to make up for her mistake? Would he really just make her sit on the sidelines as everyone else fought for their village? She couldn't do that. She narrowed her eyes, she'd rather die fighting than return to the village a coward who sat on the sidelines.

"Why?" Ayane asked in a whisper and Hayate put his hand on her shoulder gently as she looked up towards him.

"The sword cut through your heart and lung." He said sadly "and harsh movement could potentially tear it and cause you to bleed to death."

So dying was still a strong possibility.

"I see." She said dejectedly. If she turned too fast she could bleed to death, how in the world could she pull off her art? She couldn't. She had to sit and watch. She had to be worthless. She closed her eyes letting out a breath but opened them when Hayate released her shoulder and pulled back.

"Be careful Ayane. Stay hidden and do not fight."

Ayane nodded feeling her insides heat up. He had actually still cared for her, which meant everything from before was just an act. She felt that warmness instantly disappear when she realized what he meant. She would have to stay away. She would have to sit on the sidelines and hope they were okay without her.

**TDS**

Kasumi frowned as she seen the sun peeking over the horizon. He hadn't come back yet which meant he had wanted her to find this. If it was a trap, she guessed, he would rather fight her in the light. She could already tell her cover was being illuminated by the rising sun and her black outfit was a giveaway in the daytime. It was simple. She had just lost her advantage and he had just gained his. She knew that if he had been waiting for this he would be on his way here now. She had to leave before he got here. She had to leave now.

She sprinted towards the river as she heard the birds start to sing their morning song to whoever would listen. She would follow the river down and get to… she paused in her thoughts. Where would she go? What did she have to do now? Kasumi stopped as she saw a small clear pond. She decided to stop here for a few minutes and clear her mind while figuring out what she would do next.

The pond was so clear that she could see all the way to the bottom. It smelt so refreshing and looked beautiful with the vegetation gently dipping into the top causing it to ripple when a breeze rolled by. Kasumi sighed in content as she took her bandana off revealing her long light brown hair and letting it fall over her shoulders. She then shrugged out of her clothes and slipped into the water. She could see the fish that shared the water with her and wadded to the other side since it was protected from others view as they ran by and she didn't want to be attacked by friend or foe. She frowned at the thought, even her friends are her foes now.

What would she do now? Sereo had told her she needed to find this man, and she knew she did, especially if there is even the slightest possibility that he could harm her comrades. There was a problem though. How would she find him? He had already outsmarted her once and she didn't want to risk running into him in a situation where he had the upper hand. She couldn't wait for him to come to her though because that would also be in his favor and she needed the upper hand. It was a tough situation for her. Either way she was at a disadvantage to him, whoever he was.

She slid into the water so that only her head peeked out from above the water. Kasumi knew she had to stay away from both the Morimusa and the Yamason because she was supposed to be dead. If either of them saw them then there would be serious repercussions. Was this other person a spy from the Yamason to see if the Morimusa was going to keep the five vs. five agreement? If so why did he not confront her before?

If he wasn't from the Yamason where was he from? She had never seen him in the Morimusa before, but she had to admit that she hadn't really gotten a good look at him. If he was from the Morimusa then Hayate would surely know of her existence in this world by now, and so would Ryu. They would also know Sereo lied. Would she suddenly become a top priority now or would he continue to focus on the Yamason. She sighed knowing he should stay focused on his current task and hoping he would. This other person was in no way good news for her and she needed to figure out who he was and what he stood for before she proceeded in Sereo's mission for her otherwise he could just end up hindering it.

She leaned her head back and wondered when this would all be over. Would they still want her dead after all of this was said and done? She shook her head dispelling the thoughts. She was going to make sure she was allowed back, it's what she had been fighting for for so long. She wasn't one who would give up either. She stood letting the water drip down her naked flesh and looked towards her clothes. It was time to start her day.

It was time to start getting her life back.

**TDS**

"If I'm correct they should be camped along this river" Ishibashi Kenji said to his team. They all looked at each other and nodded not finding a flaw in his logic before looking back to him. He had scorching burns on his torso and lower chin where Yuki had scarred him in their last battle but aside from that remained unharmed, it still burned and stung but he would never tell the others that. The pinkish red burns stood out against his otherwise beautifully tanned skin. He ran a hand through his dirty blond hair and looked towards Haruka waiting for her assessment.

"The Morimusa is not completely stupid." She finally said "They will be near a river, and I also believe they would be along this river, but inward at maybe 100 meters." She paused thinking of their next course of action. A surprise attack would be the best course of action at this point. The Morimusa was not to be underestimated and both teams were missing a member regardless if the girl had somehow managed to survive Kenji's strike. There was no way she would be able to fight again in this battle.

Catching the other off guard was their best bet. Hayate had killed Kippei; that much they all knew when he did not return to them at nightfall, they had been angered but they also had known it was going to happen. They all knew that they very well faced death here, but that didn't mean they would rush to meet their fate.

"May I suggest we run along the river, with each person stationed at 20 meters?" Everyone else looked at Yaten as she said this. It seemed like a good course of action and so Haruka nodded once. After a short pause Yaten continued.

"Furthermore, Ryu needs to be kept out of the way and Yuki needs to be taken care of first. She is a poison master and I would not be surprised is Kenji soon dropped dead from her strike."

Kenji nodded subconsciously as he fell into his thoughts. He wondered if that was true, the wounds still burned but he didn't feel how he was taught he would if he was poisoned. He hadn't expected it to be honest. He was relishing in the feeling that one of the best Morimusa ninja had fallen to him that he didn't even see her until it was too late to stop her. He knew if he died it was his own fault and not because of her skill.

He looked up and watched the birds flying overhead. The sky was now a clear crisp blue and he viewed it as a good sign. Haruka suddenly stood and Gobei followed swiftly after. She turned so that her back was facing her team and her head was towards the river.

"Spread out, one person every 20 meters as Yaten said." She said turning her head and looking back at them. She smiled. "We'll see if we can't catch them off guard."

The other three nodded at once and started jogging through the forest at a light speed. They kept pace with each other easily and scanned the area for any and all tracks of the Morimusa. They were on the hunt and the Morimusa was their prey. All four of the Yamason ninjas then drew a kunai and held it in the right hand waiting. All they had to do was find their prey, then they would avenge Kippei and win this war like they did before, after all they were clearly the stronger of the two villages.

They just had to prove it one more time.

**TDS**

Ryu was so relieved she was alive. She was not well, but she was alive, and that was more than he could have asked for. It was his fault she was like that, he let that other ninja get away from him and within striking distance of her. He had thought she had died and could do nothing but rush to her side and try to help her.

Ultimately he was useless to her.

Yuki had been the one that was able to heal her in the first place but even then it seemed like she might pull through, she only had a chance, and by the way Yuki had looked at her Ryu had figured it was a slim one. Then he had watched as Sereo walked up to Ayane and pulled out a cloth bag of something, he had sprinkled it over her and it looked like tiny specs of shining silver, he had then brought it up to her face so that she would breathe it in. Nothing had seemed to happen until he had moved away from her. Ayane's eyes had fluttered open.

Ryu was glad he was not there when Kasumi died, and he was glad he did not know how she did. He would like to imagine that she was caught off guard and killed by a senbon or a strike to the neck but he knew it was untrue. She would never be caught off guard and she would never let herself be killed. In all reality when she died he knew it would be in a fight and that she would be bloody and battered. In reality she would have broken her bones and cut up her perfect skin in the fight for her life. She was always to strong willed to run away from a fight if it meant not being able to come home.

What would he have done if Kasumi had been killed in front of him? He honestly couldn't come up with an answer. He would rush to her side. He would kill the bastard who did it. He would… he reached up and put his hand over his heart. It hurt. He knew the feeling; he had felt it when his parents died so long ago. It was a terrible feeling and he wanted it to fade away into nothing and leave him alone as it did before.

He still felt as if she was still alive though. He was used to not seeing her for a long period of time and that was what it felt like, the only difference is that he would never see her again. But isn't that what he always wanted? He wanted her to flee to another country where she would be free even if it meant never seeing her again because she would be safe. She wasn't dead, he told himself, she had just heeded his advice.

It was an alternative he desperately wanted to believe.

But he knew that in the end…

In the end he was useless to Kasumi too


	12. Interferance

**TheDarkestShinobi: **well I don't know what to say after so long. The book never came out, life got in the way, so the chapters were never written. I've been talking with ADarkShinobi and she practically begged me for another chapter, then I got a review for one. And then I got half the day off of work. It seemed like even God wanted me to write the new chapter, so I did.

This story is a story I make no promises to finish. I would like to since I have it outlined. I'm a little more than 1/3 done but again no promise.

Also you can now add pictures as story covers, feel free so send me ideas! Any artsy people out there?

**Chapter start**

When Ayane had woken up the next day she had felt like a fire was burning in her stomach and brought her hands to it. It was hot against her hand. Was she bleeding? Would she drown in her own blood now? She grunted and felt another, much cooler hand touch her exposed stomach and she opened her eyes to see Yuki right over her looking at her with concern.

"Ayane sama" she ushered out gently. "How do you feel?"

"It hurts… burns" she whispered out looking away. She didn't want to admit that she was in pain and if the injuries were not life threatening she would never admit that it hurt but as it was the pain could be dangerous and she had to swallow her pride rather than risk her life.

"You have a fever." Yuki finally said removing her cool hands from Ayane's burning skin. "It could be from an infection."

Ayane said nothing cursing her carelessness from before and her body's weakness as Yuki stood and walked towards the tree line she assumed Hayate was behind. She pushed against the floor and sat up feeling a slight pain. Ayane let out a hiss of pain while sitting up fully. She panted from the effort and strained her eyes to see the two figures behind the trees but she could not see them. She moved her legs and wondered if she could stand in her condition.

"Ayane." She heard Ryu's voice behind her and she turned her head bitterly noting it was the only thing she could move without pain. She saw him walking slowly towards her, a gentle smile on his face. Ayane was stunned, Ryu was smiling? She looked up to him as he knelt in front of her.

"Don't push it, I can't lose you too." Ryu said so lowly that she doubted that anyone else would have heard it, even if they had been spying on them. She nodded slowly not sure what she was agreeing to and faced ahead to see Sereo walking towards them.

"How are you?" Ayane tried to stand but a hand on her shoulder from Ryu stopped her. She finally gave up and simply sat there before looking to Sereo.

"Thirsty." She finally said and a small 'thank you' after he handed her a canteen filled with water. She took small sips, partially because she could feel the water cooling her insides and spreading, and because it hurt to swallow so much as once.

"Let me take her to the stream, bathe her and see if I can cool the fever, then we'll head straight back." Ayane looked up at the two that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She didn't think she could make it to the stream. She could barely stand. She watched as Hayate looked at her sympathetically before looking to Yuki and crossing his arms.

"Yuki, it is too risky, if they find you or outnumber and attack us-"

"Please Hayate sama, she won't survive if I can't cool this fever." Yuki cut him off and his eyes widened slightly at her words. Ayane… dying? Even though he had been ready a couple of days ago for that to be the case it still seemed foreign to him. He watched Ryu's face somber and Sereo's remained unchanged. It seemed that Sereo was the best here to make the decision regarding this; he was, above all, impartial.

"Sereo," Hayate started, "Ryu and I are compromised here. What do you think should be done?"

Sereo looked towards Ayane and back towards Hayate. What should they do? Ayane was, to be honest, useless to them in combat. She would not recover to fight in this battle and if anything could only teach in the village. But Hayate and Ryu held affection for her and her death could potentially hinder their performance, and in that case she did become useful to them. If, by any chance they were about to perish he had no doubt Kasumi would come to their aid. Therefore it was best to let Yuki take her to the stream.

"Let them go." Hayate seemed relieved and nodded towards Yuki who smiled and turned towards Ayane who had a cold look on her face.

_She won't survive._

Ayane receded into her own thoughts at these words. The way Yuki said it made it sound like it was inevitable, like she was going to die anyway. She couldn't let it be over like this. It was different when she was knocked out from blood loss from her wound, but now that she could fight back the cold hand of Death she wouldn't let it win. When Death took her it would be of her own will, not because of her enemy.

She heard them talking but paid little attention, they were deciding her fate and she'd rather hear the verdict then what each individual had to say. What would she say if the positions were switched? She wouldn't care if Sereo or Yuki died, but she would do all she could to help Ryu and she would give her life for Hayate. Ayane looked up as Ryu started to lift her up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he turned his head to Hayate but Yuki was the one who spoke first.

"Hayabusa sama, I can take her myself." He nodded.

"Here." He handed Ayane to Yuki as if she were a fragile doll that could break at any second. Yuki started to walk towards the stream and the three men left behind scattered to see if they could find any trace of the Yamason and where they were headed.

"Put your arms around me." Yuki said to Ayane as she walked a little faster. "I wouldn't want you to fall."

Ayane hesitantly wrapped her arms around Yuki's neck and leaned her head against the other's shoulders. Yuki felt so cool to her, was she that hot? Had the fever already strengthened that much? If Yuki was going to run then she needed to be as close to her as possible so she could be as secure as possible. Yuki held her close knowing she couldn't let her fall and risk injuring her or reopening the wounds, outside or inside. She held the girl gently and closed her eyes before taking off.

She felt Ayane's warm arms tighten around her and wanted to reassure the girl but instead she just sped up. This needed to be over and done with so they could get back to the others and safety. She knew the girl in her arms was wary but she also knew that she was hardheaded and would never admit it and an argument could ensue from her saying anything and that could give away their position and make them targets, and the way they were made them very easy targets.

Ayane tried to keep her eyes open. She couldn't rely on Yuki completely, but wasn't she already in her hands, figuratively and literally? She felt the cool breeze and relaxed into it. Surely they didn't have too much farther to go now, a little extra sleep couldn't hurt and maybe the pain in her side could finally subside.

…

Sereo jumped back and a kunai embedded itself in the ground where his feet were. He would have been instantly alert and have called the others but there was a black ribbon tied to the back of the kunai. It was Kasumi then who threw it, he turned scanning the tree line to try and find the kunoichi.

"Had I been an enemy you would have been dead." She said from behind him and he turned to face her. She smiled though it remained hidden behind the black wrap covering her face.

"Did you find him?" she shook her head and looked up towards the clouds above.

"I have a bad feeling about today." She looked back down at him. "I did not find the Yamason camps and I came from the direction you are heading. How far are you going out?" Sereo nodded and started walking in the opposite direction. After picking up her kunai and pulling the wrap off to allow herself to cool a bit she followed.

"No more than a half-hour's travel." She nodded and fell into step besides him.

"Sereo… about the Shogun…"

"You'll understand soon." He said with a tone of finality, and she looked away from him but left it at that. He wished he could answer the questions she had but the truth was he didn't know all the answers either. He knew she would understand it soon, the filling of the moon was coming up and Kalona had already started to seek her out. Hopefully he'd understand it too.

"How is Ayane?" She asked hesitantly not sure if she really wanted to know the answer. Sereo looked away this time and she felt something squeeze her heart. _Please be alive, please_ were her thoughts. Sereo looked back to her and nodded.

"She's fine… for now." Kasumi smiled and looked up feeling slightly more relaxed then she did before.

"Then everything is well."

…

Haruka stopped seeing Hayate below her running through the forest. She crouched against the branch as he continued and in a few seconds he was gone. She turned into the direction he was running from and sprinted towards it. She would get Yaten and Gobei to help her and this one would surely fall, if she was lucky they could catch Hayabusa san as well.

She paused in her thoughts. Lucky? She had never wanted Hayabusa san dead, Ryu kun could never fall in her eyes, he was that amazing. She had to kill him in order for her village to be victorious as she doubted he would ever give up. She knew if he had the chance he would kill her but he didn't feel for her the way she couldn't stop herself from feeling about him. She had let out a whistling sound and stopped, her team would find her now. Then the fighting would begin.

Her team had joined her in less than a minute and she explained to them the situation. They were looking for them. They would be back at the camp soon, which should be in the area. When they seemed to be settled and when the numbers were in their favor they would strike. They would kill Hayate and avenge Kippei, and then they would kill Ryu and Sereo and Yuki and claim victory once again. They patiently waited in the trees for their strike and according to plan the leader of the Mugen Tenshin appeared in the field below. He was joined shortly after by Ryu. Haruka paused seeing him and knew ordering an attack would be ordering his death. She also knew that they couldn't let this opportunity pass. This was war. She stilled her heart and raised her hand. In that instant her followers lunged at the two below them.

She had just killed the man she had cared for more than any other. She supposed it wasn't entirely all her fault. It was the Shogun's fault for making them fight for nothing. Now she would never be able to gain what she had lost when the Hayabusa village was brutally murdered. After a pause seeing her ninja ready to attack the two she jumped off the branch. She was their leader and that was more important than any little feelings she could possibly have in her heart.

…

Yuki kneeled and set the sleeping Ayane on the ground besides the stream. She took off her clothes before beginning to remove Ayane's. Ayane awoke and made a startled motion that may have been threatening if she didn't hiss and kneel over in pain immediately after. Yuki was still by her side though and Ayane calmed seeing who it was but she grabbed the skin on her side trying to calm herself and somehow lessen the pain.

Yuki let Ayane grab her hand and squeeze it. She didn't know how much it hurt her but she could tell that it was a lot seeing the way the girl held her hand. Could she have reopened the wound? Yuki slowly felt the pressure on her hands release and Ayane stood to undress herself. Yuki wanted to interject since it would stretch the wound but she hardly thought she knew the girl well enough to undress her when she could do it herself.

Ayane had placed her clothes next to Yuki's and stepped into the slightly flowing water. She shivered at the coolness of it and felt Yuki watching her. She wanted to kneel so the water would come higher than her stomach but it was too cold. She lifted her head to see Yuki staring at her.

"I'm fine you know."

"I did such a poor job with it." Yuki said softly as she reached out and touched the wound. Ayane quickly pulled back and kneeled in the water not wanting to be evaluated anymore. She wanted to forget that it happened. She wanted to forget that she was injured and _useless._

Yuki frowned as she seen the wound. It looked so ugly, especially against the pale smooth skin that a flawless kunoichi was known for. If she hadn't been in such a panic or rush then the scars against her skin would have turned out much better. She also wondered how bad it still was. Would Ayane die here with her, would she die back at camp, perhaps in Hayate's arms, or maybe Ryu's?

Ayane sunk into the water that felt too cool against her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Why was the water so cold? It wasn't cold last time she was in here. Was her fever that bad or was the morning cooler today? Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she tried to convince herself that it wasn't cold. It wasn't cold. She then felt a cool hand against her forehead and opened her eyes to see Yuki frowning.

"We have to cool you down."

Yuki made her get out of the water and put her clothes on once she was clean. She then took handfuls of water and ran it down her forehead and her arms. She knew it was a bad idea to let the girl take a bath when her fever was that high but she couldn't risk the infection that an unclean wound would have. She didn't know for sure if the burned wound had completely closed and that was the only way she could be sure that it was clean. The infection of course could kill her faster and more painfully then the fever could and a fever was easier to treat.

Ayane's skin seemed to burn and as Yuki feared emerging in the cold water had only raised it. She poured water on her arms and cooled her body with her wet hands until the fever had gone down. Yuki's hands had become cold because of the water and she crossed her arms placing them between her chest and arms to warm them.

…

Ryu had not seen them in the tree lines, or even suspected that they had been spied on but at the very second he saw the shadows of the Yamason ninjas he was ready to attack. Hayate had seen them perhaps a split second before him and had rolled away just in time to avoid a strike from Yaten. Ryu had blocked Gobei's fist and had kicked him in the chest making him stagger back.

Haruka drew her weapon quickly determining that she would kill Hayate and let the others kill Ryu, her hands did not need to be that tainted with the blood of the man who was supposed to be her husband. She had brought her sword down on the unsuspecting man and her eyes widened in shock when her sword was blocked by his. He hadn't even had his sword out before she began her strike. He was fast. He was very fast. She moved her own sword to the left to block his strike and stepped back at the force. Clearly she had underestimated him.

"Sereo!" Hayate yelled out his name as he tried to dodge another blow. He knew that they would not make it if he didn't show. He felt the impact of the fist against him and was slightly winded. This is why he didn't want to split up he thought as he fell to the ground. He shifted and barely dodged a strike before getting up. His glance shifted to Ryu who also had his hands full. He hoped Sereo would make it in time, otherwise they were done for.

And more importantly, the Mugen Tenshin would fall.

…

Yuki wanted to carry Ayane back to camp for the simple reason that it would be easier and faster for them to get back than if she walked. Ayane, however, refused to be carried since she could walk on her own. They walked at a slow pace back to camp and Yuki wondered if Hayate sama would be mad at her for taking so long. She turned to Ayane again.

"Please just let me carry you." Ayane shook her head, "but I told Hayate sama that I'd be as quick as possible."

"It's fine." Ayane said lowly as she speed up slightly as if to prove she was fine. "I don't need to be helped."

Yuki then looked ahead of them; it was another fifteen minutes if they walked so they should be alright. She then heard Hayate's yell. He was calling for Sereo, meaning they were in trouble. She turned around to face Ayane but walked backwards to keep going in the same direction. Her eyes narrowed and her hands checked to make sure her pouches were still full.

"Ayane, hide. I will come back for you." Before Ayane could protest Yuki turned around again and began to run towards the fight hoping she would be in time to help them. Hopefully she would be able to help them end this war today. She ran even faster and could feel the slight burn building up in her lungs. It didn't matter, at this quick pace she should be there in a few minutes time.

Would the battle even last that long?

…

Sereo had wanted to take his time. He would make it back later than the others but he knew that they would not find the Yamason now. At Kasumi's request they started moving faster. She said she felt something was off a short while after they had started to walk but he had not felt anything.

He let his thoughts wander to the kunoichi besides him and what she would be doing soon. She had to kill the Shogun, of that Sereo was sure. As for why, he could only guess that it had something to do with this war but he could not tell why this one was so special. Other Shoguns had called pointless wars before, just to keep the villages in check, the best warriors in the grave and keep their honor by proving their control. He also did not know how she could do it. He had investigated and found a lot of information for her, but he had no idea about his life. Was he ever unguarded? It wouldn't be easy to kill him, but was it feasible? Did Kalona know all of the details?

Sereo paused hearing nature call his name. The trees' leaves swayed as the wind carried his name and the birds flew by. Hayate was calling him. Hayate needed him. He would have asked Kasumi if he was called because they were in trouble but she had already started to sprint towards them. His feet had soon begun to move on their own and the forest started to zoom behind him. He silently moved through the forest as his toes pushed off the soft dirt beneath him.

Kasumi heard Sereo's name being called and had taken off as if it were her own name her brother called out in desperation. He was in trouble. She had been on missions with him before where he had chosen to fight on his own rather than call for her help. For him to call out Sereo's name he must really be unsure about the outcome of the battle.

She had no clue where he was and she could only run in the direction his voice came from. She would make it. She had to. She wouldn't allow her brother to die. She picked up her speed even further and could feel her body start to warn her. She pushed through the slight burn in her thighs and was relieved to hear the sounds of fighting ahead.

Sereo had been besides Kasumi the entire time but could not help but secretly admire her speed. There was a certain pace every ninja was trained to keep but naturally male ninja could run faster than their female counterparts. She, however, kept up with him as if his pace were her own.

…

It was four to two. Ryu and Hayate were now back to back, both had their swords drawn and eyed their opponents carefully. Ryu's bare forearm was covered in dirt and drying blood where he had been sliced by a sword. The cut stung but thankfully was not deep enough to cause any concern. Hayate remained untouched and they waited for the Yamason ninja to attack.

It was a strike that should have been easy to block, but Hayate's arm had not moved fast enough.

The sword stopped an inch from his face as a result of Ryu's own sword being in the way. Ryu felt himself being knocked down from a swift strike to the back of his neck and he rolled away from another strike.

Both Hayate and Ryu had noticed how bad their position was a second too late. Hayate felt something in his chin crack as he was kicked by Haruka and Ryu got kicked in the side of the face by Gobei. Kenji and Yaten rushed forward towards the two Morimusa ninja. Hayate fell to him knees grabbing his chin and Ryu felt dizzy from the impact and almost fell to the ground.

Yuki had seen them being overwhelmed but was too far away to help. She pushed herself and ran faster but the two would have Ryu's head before she reached them. It seemed to be in slow motion for her. She wanted to scream. Let them attack her! Ryu and Hayate were too strong, too important to die.

The look in their eyes was pure pleasure. They would slay the two strongest of the Morimusa now, they would then claim victory for their village as the other two would not be able to stand up to them. Their swords inched closer and closer, but suddenly they were blinded by a bright light.

Kasumi stopped running once she was able to see the six fighting. Her eyes widened as she seen both Ryu and Hayate in those positions. They stood no chance. They were going to die. She brought her hands to her chest and bent her knees slightly as she spun. In a tiny flash of light she was gone.

Sereo didn't know what to think when he saw that Ryu and Hayate were both about to be fatally stuck. He was useless to them since he was this far away. He glanced to Kasumi to see her reaction. He saw only a flash.

…

The Yamason ninjas froze in shock feeling her cold grip on their wrists. Their swords stopped their assault as she held them in place. Kasumi stood in front of Hayate and Ryu, her hands grabbing Kenji's and Yaten's wrist. The grip was tight enough to cause the two ninja to freeze in place but no harm to come to them. She raised her head slightly so it was no longer towards the floor but at their faces. The expression on her face was stern and intimidating with red cheeks and narrowed eyes and strands of her hair sticking to her face.

…

Ryu had pushed himself up with one arm and the other had grabbed the sword he dropped in the hopes that he could move impossibly fast and not perish. He saw a flash that must have come from a sword and lifted his own turning. He looked up to see the two ninja being held by a girl in an all-black garb. That's not what stopped him. It wasn't Yuki or Ayane, if it was he would have sprung to action instead of freezing in shock. He knew the black clad figure. He knew her very well. Her light brown hair fell over her back. It was her. It had to be. He wasn't imagining anything.

He never had.

Still, something inside him ached. _Don't hope again._ He had to be absolutely sure. The name ripped from his throat.

"Kasumi!"


	13. Alive

**TheDarkestShinobi:**I was thinking of making a tumblr, for updates, q and a, requests, triva and the like, vote on my profile please to let me know if you would follow/be interested, or leave a review if that's better for you.

Also, I'm so close to 100 reviews, I'm so excited!

**Chapter start:**

His cry echoed in the silence that followed her interference. It ripped from him as it ripped everything out of him. His mind was lost in the moment, thrown into past memories. Yuki watched them all in shock, Kasumi, here, alive.

The first thought that popped in her mind was anger, truthfully, the traitor lived and Sereo had lied. He lied to the villages and Hayate sama, he claimed a kill he didn't make and left a danger to the village alive and well. Sereo, for his part, didn't seem the least bit guilty; he looked proud, almost confident as he silently stood observing the group in the center. The second, relief, she saved Hayate sama and Hayabusa sama, maybe there was some use for this pathetic life after all. Lastly, panic. The Shogun's law was just broken; Kasumi had fought for the Mugen Tenshin. A neishin could only cause her village harm after all. The new appearance was unheard of. They all stood, frozen, as time flew by.

Ayane was the first to break the silence, very nosily entering the clearing, squelching mud and leaves and breaking twigs in a display that truly showed how injured she could be, how, despite what everyone said about her she cared; she cared enough to be careless for him. Yuki threw her arm out to the side, not to hit her, but to prevent her from moving further in. She hadn't been noticed yet, everyone heard her, but no one looked away from _her_. Ayane turned to her and Yuki jerked her head to a tree. Ayane hid behind it with no protest, but her heart was racing, it was heavy; her skin tingling. Kasumi, her sister…

She was alive.

As if awoken from a trance from the noise it was assumed Yuki made, the two yanked themselves free from Kasumi's wrist and backed up a few steps raising their weapons as well as another ninja from the Tsube. Kasumi took a step forward from the force and then a step back in slight shock and confusion but neither Ryu nor Hayate were still there, they too had backed off leaving her alone in the middle.

She feared it was only right; she now was an enemy of both sides.

"You've broken the rules!" Was seemingly a childish argument, especially coming from Gobei, but the punishment would be anything but. Haruka had made no attempt to draw a weapon and studied the girl. Kasumi, the name had sounded familiar, a name that had been associated with the legendary immortal so many times she didn't want to risk any wrath being incurred. Still, if this was not her, if she was not the one her father told her legends about, she would be the first to kill the girl, and she would send the boy to the mountains with words of their treachery.

She was so scared, but she wouldn't show even a hint of anything other than confidence to anyone. She kept her hands open and to the side before taking a deep breath. She had the authority here; She was the one on a mission that was not a pointless war. First was first, the elder accused her of breaking the rules, and she didn't. She may have helped the Mugen Tenshin, but she was not from there, or recognized, or any less likely to receive a sword in the back.

"I am not of the village;" because from would have been a lie "my mission has nothing to do with you or your petty war, so your rules were not broken." She stopped talking, shocked with the words that had come out of her mouth but had _come_ from another. She was confused, but the blonde woman of the other tribe only had wide eyes after her little speech.

Hayate was furious.

Saved by a traitor. He would rather have died a thousand deaths next to his best friend and in front of the eyes of his half-sister to the hands of the Tsube than to have blinked up to see the familiar figure of his sister holding the attackers off. She had been _better_, but he was supposed to be the only one of them remaining. He was stronger, he was the heir, she was weak, compassionate, outcast and **dead**. Now she was in front of them and strong, in control, not frail and frightened and in the process of running away like a traitor should be. She had come to them, not afraid and rested, not hunted.

How dare she?

How dare she stand there and call their war pathetic, standing in all black and composed like she was a gift and not a curse; like she was wanted and not shunned. She had abandoned them, so what made her think she could come back and help them? What made her think they could possibly want her help? He didn't want anything but her death.

"You're her aren't you?" Haruka said, in a slow cautious tone, stepping closer. "You're Kasumi." The Tsube all knew what Haruka was asking, but the Mugen Tenshin had no idea; they didn't keep up with useless myths. Most of them didn't anyway. This Kalona knew. What Haruka was asking was if she really was her, not the daughter of Shiden and Ayame, but the one Kalona had predicted as he stood over the body of Nura many, many years ago in a place far from the reaches of shinobi. Kasumi could say either yes or no to the question, but she could tell the truth. Haruka was still moving the smallest bit closer at the slowest pace, as if Kasumi herself was a mythical creature or an immortal.

"I am Kasumi."

Sereo watched. He watched Kasumi talk but he didn't hear a word. He could not focus on her; he could only focus on him. Kalona stood in the shadows of the tree next to him and he swore he could feel the immortal's power tickling the edge of his skin. He knew Kasumi had found his base, but Kalona had not found her, interesting. The immortal was amused at Kasumi, and proud? How many brave beings had Kalona helped along this path? What could Kasumi be doing to feel so special? Sereo could not tell, all he knew was that Kasumi was diffusing the situation, asking questions about the Shogun, about Chokaku and getting much more information from them than he could have gotten her. Oddly enough, it was the Tsube that came to Kasumi, Everyone from the Mugen Tenshin just stared.

Maybe he was wrong, maybe her faking her death wouldn't convince people they hadn't wanted her dead, but it didn't matter anymore, he wouldn't let her die, and neither would Kalona. Once Kalona stepped out he doubted the Tsube would let her die. The Mugen Tenshin did not pay much attention to myth, but myth always came from legend, legend always came from history, and that history was standing right beside him right now.

The myth of Ryubi the Water Bender, Nura the Invincible, Samson the Great and countless others were not myths at all, but history. History that Kasumi would now become a part of, she would stand with them, and years from now someone will hear of the Kunoichi of Destiny and know it was Kasumi and he will have done his part to get her there.

"We will continue this another time." Haruka said loudly to the members of the Mugen Tenshin as she took a step back and widely swung her hands in a circle around her before bringing them in to meet each other in a sign Sereo couldn't see in front of her chest. She turned into sand and fell to the Earth, disappearing as did the others from the Tsube. Sereo felt Kalona vanish behind him as well, satisfied that the imminent danger had passed. Kalona knew he didn't need to remind Sereo to send Kasumi to him; his very presence was enough for Sereo to know his impatience.

Ayane moved from behind the tree, and walked up to Kasumi as fast as she could before throwing her arms around her sister and letting out a choked sob. Kasumi was nothing short of shocked, but she brought her arms up to wrap around her sister to accept the hug she never thought she'd ever receive. She felt the need to say something but no idea what.

What do you say to someone who has always hated you, who hunted you and sent people to kill you when she couldn't hunt herself? The very woman who had saved her from going into a burning building only to claim it was so she could kill her herself. For honor. This was the woman who always put the clan before everything else and should have rejoiced at her death. The person that was a friend so harmful one would wonder if they even needed enemies. She didn't even have a weapon on her to draw and stab Kasumi in the back with. Kasumi feels guilty that that was her first thought, but that is the relationship the two sisters always shared. What does she say when that person throws herself in her arms upon seeing her alive?

"Aya-"

"I am so glad you're alive." This stunned the brunette into silence. That was the reaction she expected the least from Ayane, unless followed by 'so I can kill you myself' or some response to the like. She smiled and hugged the girl tighter, more than aware enough of her injuries to harm her. When Ayane pulled back Kasumi thought of all the times Ayane had been responsible for people trying to kill her, Ayane must have too because guilt was plastered all over her face. She wanted her sister to feel regret, not guilt, but she knew enough about them to know they were completely different people and Ayane would regret nothing, even if she really was dead. She would feel guilt, but if it was for the sake of the village she would never have regret, and in that sense she will always be "better" than Kasumi.

Ryu stood; shocked and rooted into place, for all his bearings he was stuck. He couldn't move, couldn't act, he could do nothing but stare. He stared as Ayane embraced her, then as Hayate and Yuki came closer, threats in their stares. Sereo too, rushed forward, but his intent was to protect. Still, he could not move. He could only watch her, alive and smiling and not dead. He hadn't failed her after all.

"How dare you!" Hayate had yelled as he came closer and Ayane pulled herself from her sister's grip.

"How dare the both of you." His tone shifted from fury to ice in a word as Sereo stepped in-between the siblings. Anger was his reaction, not guilt, and certainly not regret. Sereo was right about one thing, about dying, she found out what people thought of her, who would miss her and who wouldn't. Hayate locked eyes with his sister. "First you leave the village on some journey to gain you honor and become a traitor." She feels the anger settle in and lets herself calm and slip into a different part of herself.

"You know why I left, to avenge you by killing Raidou, make nothing more or less of it." Sereo almost turned at the tone and edge her voice took; he was so glad he taught her this, otherwise she might have been in tears, begging them to understand and professing her love and trying to convince them to just let her back home. He was proud. She was confident, and matured, and it shocked him to realize how much someone could change in such little time. Then again, he used to be the most trusted shinobi in his village, and in a day he became a neishin himself by hiding Kasumi and lying to Hayate, though this would not be addressed until tonight.

"Did you realize," Hayate continues as if she hadn't spoken, and Yuki's face becomes red in anger as she stands by his side. Ayane puts a hand on Ryu's shoulder to try and get a reaction out of him but he is still stuck, still in shock, still can't believe she is there and alive and breathing. "That you left our father without an heir, our village without a future. Overnight we became the laughingstock of the other villages, our _princess_ had run away instead of stepping up. This, in the time when we could have used you for once, for appearance at least, until I recovered."

"My killing of Raidou earned our village honor, despite taking all of mine," all of her honor, all of her hopes, her dreams, family, friends, and chances of happiness and normalcy "mother would have been a perfect leader, still could be, and you would never have gotten better on your own."

Epsilon.

He heard the word as if she said it and in those few seconds his memories flashed in front of him, of Hitomi, of Ein. The man he had been and almost lost himself too, the woman who saved his life. The company that took him hostage; she was part of the team that saved him. The silence assaulted his ears and he realized she never did say it aloud and he was glad she didn't. She wasn't stupid then.

Yuki and Sereo were the only ones there who had no idea what Epsilon meant, Shiden had ordered it to be dismissed, for Kasumi to run again and for them to chase her again. For the village's sake they could never know the neishin had saved their new leader or that their old leader had been so negligent as to let his son get kidnapped in the middle of the night. Yuki and Sereo could not know. She still was looking out for them.

"You ran away." It seemed everything would fall to that one argument, it didn't matter why she left, or that she had been trying to get back or that her leaving helped them in the end. It only mattered that she left.

"The only honor you could give the village now would be gained by throwing yourself at my feet and killing yourself with your own blade." He looked at her as if he expected her to do it now, maybe while begging for him to understand why she had to leave.

"You came back to try to save us, against the will of the Shogun, you _neishin._" the word was spat with fury and only caused Kasumi's eyes to narrow. She had heard the word too many times to be hurt by it, but from his mouth it angered her. Sereo stepped to the side when Kasumi stepped forward looking up at her brother, but not intimidated in the slightest. She hadn't been intimidated by him in the slightest for the longest time. If she wanted to remind her of what she was she would remind him of what he was.

"You'd be dead if I didn't, brother." The word was said coldly and he smacked her. He was not her brother anymore.

Kasumi had watched one of Shiden's friends slap her mother once, when they thought she had been out of line for a woman. She had taken the slap and told Shiden, and the next day Shiden had beaten the man. The next week the man was sent on some retrieval mission and never returned. Once, Ayane had been slapped by Hayate, but he was her clan leader and that type of discipline was enforced, encouraged. Ayane had gotten him back in other ways, Kasumi knew, but she wouldn't hit him back because of who they were. As Hayate had clearly shown and said, she was nothing to him, and he therefore was nothing to her. So logically she should treat him as she would any other man who would dare to strike her.

He let out a curse as her fist connected with the side of his face. He didn't stumble back, not like she had, but she knew he'd have a bruise and her red mark would dissapear in a few moments, already the warmth and the sting were fading. Sereo grabbed Yuki quickly, before her hands could reach her pouch and Ayane met Sereo's eyes. He promised not to hurt her, and she promised pain if he did. He wanted to hit her again, he wanted to strike her so hard that she would fall to the ground. He didn't. He can't figure out why. The siblings glared at each other with fury in their eyes.

"Leave Kasumi, before I kill you." Sereo offered to protect her with his body when he stepped in-between, he risked his life helping her. Hayate threatened to harm her with his actions and words and he wants to take her life from her. She once thought Sereo could replace Hayate, but relating them would be an insult to Sereo. She was glad to have a real niisan now, and she would be his neechan as soon as she got away from this _**boy**_.

"Do you think you can Hayate?" He voice was sickly sweet, as if she was asking if he could hit a target like she did when he was a kid. He grit his teeth.

"How long have you failed?" Now, she sounded like their father when Hayate saw him talking to the worst of the classes that never made an attempt to get better.

"How easily were you deceived?" This part, she asked genuinely and this question struck him the hardest. He had trusted Sereo, he trusted him to kill her and, at the very least, not lie to him and help the traitor. He had trusted Ryu's judgment on whether or not she was truly dead. He had trusted Ayane to be firm and not run into her sister's embrace. He trusted his father to protect him, and then himself to defeat Raidou without having his best move stolen from him.

How easily was he deceived? Indeed, that was the question.

He was furious, at himself, her, Sereo, Ayane, Ryu, Raidou, everyone, and lost his voice. Yuki however found hers and let out an enraged yell as she flipped Sereo over her shoulder in one smooth practiced motion and he almost found it funny that she was probably going to kill him right now. He blinked as the shadow fell on him but it wasn't Yuki's, as Yuki was sprawled out on the floor next to him. How did that happen? Pausing for only a second he looked up to see Kasumi standing over him, she turned and reached for a blade she didn't have before diving into a roll to avoid the shurriken thrown at her.

"Leave Sereo, now." She said with a low steady voice to her _true_ _brother _as she pulled him up. "No matter the status of the war do not come back. Trust my experience, they will never forgive you and they will always hunt you." She stepped away from him, yelling a taunt to her blood brother, Hayate, and Yuki. They immediately shifted their focus away from Sereo and to her, she was the one they wanted dead above all else. They were not paying attention, but what about the other two? He turned to Ayane whose red eyes were conflicted. Her shoulders fell with what looked like resignation and she mouthed the word 'go.' Guilt. Not regret. She'd feel guilty letting him go, but she might regret killing him.

Just like she would regret killing her sister if she really had to right now.

Ayane stood back from the fight as her first hard step reminded her that she was injured. Her hand immediately went to the area of the wound, feeling the heat rolling off of her in waves. It served to remind her of a few things, she was useless; she was alive; she didn't have to fight. She clenched her hand, not even wincing at the pain it caused her as she stressed her wound. She would have to sit and watch her sister's fate, but at least, this time, there would be no animosity on her part. This time, her hands wouldn't be as red. No regret and no guilt.

Kasumi was not faring well against the two of them, as she would only dodge. She didn't want to hurt her brother any more than the punch in the face she had given him earlier. It was odd how she could hate someone's actions and think little of them and still wholeheartedly love the evil creature. She glanced over to the other side of the field. Sereo was gone, safe. Hayabusa still had not moved and there was her tanto blade, almost calling out to her. Ayane was a good distance away from Hayabusa and from here. She planted her back foot and jumped up onto their shoulders to their shock. She had planted a foot on each of their shoulders before she jumped even higher and spun feeling the weightlessness wash over her. It was sweet. It was fast. Bliss. She had to focus.

She disappeared into petals, appearing before Ryu and ripping her holster from his chest in one smooth fluid motion, as if she had practiced all her life for this very moment. He was still shocked, still frozen, but less shocked, almost held in place. She started to spin then and he knew he'd lost her again. Something broke, as if he was recently freed from someone else's control he found his, so he lunged. He grabbed for Kasumi as she vanished.

He didn't know if it would work, he had teleported with others, but he had never joined at the very instant of teleportation, never against the other's will. Still, for Kasumi, he had to try. He grabbed nothing. She wasn't solid, yet he felt her as one would feel water from a stream. Then he was drowning in it. He held on, not caring the result, and in a moment of clarity, he knew he went with her.

.

He would feel the dragon call him, which was odd, because the dragon usually only pointed him in a direction and to a person, and then left him once he got the dragon where it wanted to be. For the first time in thousands upon thousands of years he was reminded that yes, this pendant did have its own _being._ Kalona ran with the pull from the beast like he had the first time, when it was his own-no. He swore to never think of such times again, not for as long as he may live. He was doomed to live forever, so he would never think of it again.

He held the dragon in his hand as he ran because he couldn't risk it falling out of his pocket. It pulled and pulled and pulled until he found them all again. He stood straight as he spotted her. Of all the ones he had had before, none looked so much like _her._ The skin and hair isn't what caught him, but her grace. She appeared in the middle of a field, scattering cherry blossoms and saving two lives, not all shinobi were alike at all. The last one he met that was like that was his own.

They jumped back, and one, the super ninja, was just a toss away from him. With an understanding he didn't have before he heard the dragon growl out. Kalona opened his palm to look down at the dragon in his hand expecting it to move or fly away and when neither happened he was slightly disappointed. He knew it had something to do with the ninja in front of him.

He had been alive for longer than he could remember, for longer than people had counted, and if there was one thing that was universal, whether in age, culture or time, it was the look on a man's face when he loved a woman. With this man, he didn't even have to look at his face to know. To his surprise Kalona knew that the dragon was angered at that, which was odd, because he had gone after women who were married. Ryubi was pregnant when he took her. He could see no reason unless Hayabusa would interfere with Kasumi's destiny because of this love.

He understood in the way that immortals did. No matter the life, it was disposable when it came to the lives of the others, of all the others. He held the dragon in his thumb and pointer and tossed it so that it landed behind Ryu. The dragon temporarily took him and Kalona backed away to sprint around and watch from somewhere else. He made his presence known to Sereo as Kasumi spoke to them and he could only be reminded of a time and a place far from here. When Haruka disappeared he did too, but he didn't leave.

She was not in danger anymore, or rather she shouldn't be so he could have left, but he wanted to see more of her. He was far too curious, and not many things interest him anymore. He watches her spin and feels the connection the dragon had to the ninja snap as he lunges towards her. That was strange. He kneeled in front of where he dropped the pendant He picked the dragon back up as he watched the others in the clearing. He placed it in his pocket and could feel its weight as if it was heavier than he could handle. He had to give it to the girl soon.

"Useless!" Kalona's eyes narrowed at the man who called himself a leader. He yelled at the women with him, calling them weak, useless and cowards. He screamed in Ayane's face about her hugging her sister and breaking Shinobi code and to Yuki for not being strong enough to take on the neishin. Kalona almost laughed at the man. Hayate was clearly furious, and obviously blinded by his anger. He whipped his head around looking for Sereo and Ryu and punched a tree when he discovered those two members of his team were missing. Kalona was not surprised, who would choose Hayate over his sister?

His eyes darken as Hayate goes on and on but he does nothing but watch. From experience he knew his actions would do nothing good in the long run and he had a job to do that didn't concern any of them. He knows the man's time is coming and that alone is enough to satisfy him for now.

The pendant seemed to gain 100 pounds in an instant. Ah yes, he should get to Kasumi. He tried to think to where Sereo or Kasumi would have gone as he turned and walked away. His feet made the barest of sounds against the grass. The pendant pulled right and he turned to its direction yielding to it as he had from his time as a mortal. The pendant needn't worry. He always found them and he always found them early.

This one may be different than his recent ones. He had been able to train Ryubi, he had guided William, and he had supported Nura years before their time came, but now, with the Shogun and this war, he fears all he may be able to do is give her to the Dragon and watch. He should have trained her before this. He should have done it long ago, that same night that he had been in her room as a teen after learning she wouldn't be allowed to leave to avenge her brother and reclaim their honor. Instead he had just leaned in so his words could bounce inside her cranium and said.

"Run."

.

He knew the feel of teleportation. The first time he teleported was as a young boy, his sensei made sure he knew everything when he was young so he wouldn't think anything was impossible as a man. He was a very cruel sensei, even in the eyes of other ninja, but Ryu could never deny the man was wise or that he'd be anywhere near the skill he had now without him.

For an instant, pain disappeared, the Earth disappeared. He was in bliss, weightless. Colors dance around his eyes as they always did and he felt the wind as if he was running as fast as he could without the burn in his legs or lungs. The smell was sweet, but lighter than when it was him alone. But it was only for an instant. As soon as it starts it ends and he stood like he always did when he landed, though at first he would fall to his knees as everything rushed back, senses feeling attacked and overloaded.

He was overwhelmed now in a different way.

She stared at him, confused on how he managed to follow her and her eyes were the only thing that gave away that the precious encounter left her frazzled. For all his activity before, with the lunging at her, he didn't move now because he didn't know what to do, could not fathom what to say. He thought she was dead. She plagued his thoughts, haunted his dreams. She must have seen him that night in the dojo; held him in the forest. She ignored him on the roof.

"I told you not to die on me." Was the only thing he said, it was the only thing he could think to say after all this. She blinked, as shocked at his voice as she was to his words, but her open honest eyes met him for a second.

"I didn't." She said back, her voice sweet and tender and everything else he remembered about her.

No. She didn't. She was here, with him, right now, alive.

**TDS: **Review! Also Tumblr poll!


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